


Giving birth to rebirth

by koko_koneyko



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Bottom Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Charon and Hermes are so cute together, Established Relationship, M/M, No Angst, Top Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Zagreus and Hypnos have a bromance, Zagreus is LOUD, another story full of nectar again, spoiler - Freeform, there's smut but not detailed, well then enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:34:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27726906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koko_koneyko/pseuds/koko_koneyko
Summary: While Zagreus enjoys the presence of his mother back home, despite the Olympians's ignorance about her, he and Thanatos discover there are souls disappearing before reaching hell. Nobody can escape death, so they decide to investigate as discreetly as possible./!\contains elements of the game' s story, possibility of spoiling /!\
Relationships: Achilles/Patroclus, Charon/Hermes (Hades Video Game), Thanatos & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 113





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Giving birth to rebirth](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27578615) by [koko_koneyko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koko_koneyko/pseuds/koko_koneyko). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if there is any mistake in the translation, I'm doing my best and a lot of my friends is helping me but... If you ever see something, don't hesitate to let me know!
> 
> Thank you for understanding and I hope to improve my english skills !  
> -Koko.

Zagreus stretched lazily in his bed after a deep sleep. The sheets on him barely covering his body, naked and partially marked by passion. Behind his neck, he felt a muscular biceps contracting imperceptibly several times. When he realized that he was cutting off the blood circulation of it and that his lover was trying to chase away the unpleasant tingling, he rolled aside to fall on Thanatos' chest.

Thanatos folded his arm to wrap it around him and passed his fingertips along his back. He shivered and smiled even more, an amused breath passing his lips to caress the grayish skin of his boyfriend.

" Hello... Or good evening, I don't know."

Instead of answering, because he also doesn't have the answer, Thanatos smiled and blowed an amused breath out of his nose. They enjoyed their embrace for a little while longer, before getting up and getting ready.

"You won't mind me leaving early?" the personification of death asked, anxious to hurt him but teasing him because he knew their funny argues about it.

"No, I’m aware you have a job to do and that you're already late" Zagreus said with his characteristic smile to reassure him." Me too by the way."

"To think that all your attempts have led you to have a fixed job in your father's realm, I still can’t believe it. Well, it's not so bad."

"Meg would tell you the opposite, she complains every time I beat her or her sisters."

As soon as they’re fully prepared, they turned towards each other and shared one last and long kiss. Zagreus whispered sweet words against the lips of his beloved. He promised and sought the same promise of seeing each other again soon, before he stepped aside to look into the flavescent eyes of Death. Then, he disappeared in a last greenish glow which quickly fades away.

He breathed a long sigh, his heart full of the love they have been sharing since his fiftieth runaway. He glanced briefly at his scrying pool and felt dizzy because of the high number of his mutiple attempts.  
He went through the backyard and greeted Skelly. After a brief warm-up and two or three deaths for the training skeleton, he said goodbye to him and jumped out of his window. His run through Tartarus was brief and once Tisiphone was defeated, he was able to continue on his way to the Asphodel. All the heads of the Hydra sliced, he boarded the raft which takes him to the Elysium. As he went through the lush and green and ethereal-looking landscape, he was asking himself if Thanatos would come to give him a hand. Usually he arrived when he went through the magmatic islands, but it wasn’t uncommon for him to appear before reaching the Elysium.

Chambers after chambers, he accumulated the blessings and some wounds gradually cover his body. The break he took at Charon's wares did him good. He was delighted to bite into a sandwich and fries and the pomgranate of power. As soon as he was ready to go, he entered into the arena to face Theseus and Asterius. He listened to the boastful hero's monologue with spite, which annoyed the other man. Then began a long exchange of blows and techniques until Zagreus defeated him.

Upset, he continued on his way to the tunnels of the temple of Styx. He knew Thanatos would not appear from now on. Of course, he could have called him with Mort, but he loves the surprise of seeing him arrive of his own free will. He has been nevertheless satisfied to have spent some time together before leaving for this escape.  
With the snacks offered to Cerberus, he went through the doors to meet his father whom he smiled at before they began their fight. In the middle of it, after almost defeating the eldest, they had a short chat.

"You seem to be in a good mood, boy !" complimented the king of the underworld while throwing several time bombs at him." I hope you're having a good day."

"Well, now that you say it, yes this day is excellent ! " the young deityreplied, moving as fast as he could.

They keep fighting, light-hearted. Although almost narrowly, Zagreus emerged victorious and Hades congratulated him for his performance. They’re laughing briefly together as the river Styx is carrying the giant away.  
Still smiling, he took a deep breath before passing the entrance to the surface. He walked a long way until he reached his mother's farm. Seeing her here regularly when he arrived made him extremely happy. He suspected Charon to take her along from time to time so she can visit her garden.

His time ends a few hours later and he had to let himself be carried away by the crimson river as well. When he emerged from the basin of his father's court, he grabbed a towel and Hypnos happily welcomes him. He offered him a smile and they talked briefly. In order to not take up all his time, he let him work and then talks with all his friends. Achilles was delighted to get the tender message from his beloved and gave him one in return. Orpheus wasn’t in his usual place, surely he had been given permission to join his muse for a few hours. He didn’t see Megara in the living room either, only Nyx in her usual place, surrounded by the roses he had had installed for her.  
They greet each other, warmly in their views, before he walked to the cook to exchange his fish for gems and keys. The shade allowed him to buy nectar that he discreetly shared with his friends. Without being surprised, he didn’t see Thanatos, so he leaves for the maze of corridors as soon as his break is over.

He started this routine again several times. Time passed over and over again, but still no sign of Thanatos. Zagreus stubbornly refused to see him briefly during an invocation and didn’t use Mort.  
For the first time in his life he was experiencing a very odd feeling of emptiness. The pierced butterfly pinned to his exomis enabled him to feel a glimpse of his lover's presence, but this wasn’t enough. He went from the simple melancholic desire to the visceral need to see him, to feel him against his skin.

Without bothering to rest, he went back and forth through the different levels of hell, fighting Megara, Alecto, Tisiphone, Lernie, Theseus and Asterius. Hades questioned him about his mood, surprising him to be so unenthusiastic in their battles. He preferred not to answer and didn’t try to avoid the last explosion which sent him straight into the deep waters of the Styx.  
He came out with a whimpering mixed with frustration and fatigue. Hypnos welcomed him with a clean towel held out to him. He was listening to him speaking while wiping away the blood trails.

" What a bummer that you left so quickly the last time, you just missed Thanatos!"

He suddenly raised his head to stare straight at him, his eyes shining. With his nonchalant attitude that characterizes him so much, Hypnos shrugged his hands and shoulders.

"I tried to hold him back, I knew you wouldn't take long, but you know him: work, work, work. Maybe you should stop working to see him as soon as he comes by, I don't know. Just another advice."

"I can't do that, my dad relies on me to test the safety of the estate and my mom wants to garden with me on the surface from time to time."

"I say you should get a pass and become a bartender. You could leave whenever you want, see Thanatos whenever you want and above all, you could sleep whenever you want !"

"I thought about it, you know ? for the pass I mean. I could have it, but I'm gonna go around in circles here, "confessed Zagreus, leaving the towel in the laudry basket. "I shall not last a century like this and Than is well aware of that."

"Well, as you wish, I won't move from my place if you ever die again!"

An amused breath comes out of his lips. His mood lightened by this exchange, he joined Megara in the living room to share some nectar with her. They discuss a little, but the master's son is regularly caught up in his thoughts and the heartbreaking loneliness of his heart. Annoyed to see him so distracted, the fury clicked her tongue and encouraged him to go back to work.

He was tempted to stay for a while to see if his lover returned, but he had to listen to his reason and admit Thanatos might not return anytime soon. So he left to challenge his father's security measures once again. He found the message of Dyonisos in one of the chambers of Tartarus. He accepted it without enthusiasm and almost with an annoyed sigh.

"Hey, little Hades! What's this sorrowful mood? Come on, come on, tell me everything, I'm focusing and hearing you!"

"Don't worry about me, it's not really ..."

"Well, to the greats evils, the greats remidies. Aphodrite, what do you think? Our little guy doesn’t feel much like celebrating !"

"What? No! No, no, no, there’s no need to..."

Too late, despite his anguished protests, the goddess of love arrived. She used to read through him like in an open book. Zagreus always felt particularly naked and feared she would find out everything about his mother.

"Uhm, let's see what this lonely and pulsating beat is hiding from us", she said in her melodious, purring voice.

These simple words made him blush hard and he whimpered defenseless with a surrendering attitude. Dyonisos's laughter resonated before he spoke again.

"Ah, so our dear Thanatos has no time anymore? It must be said this winter is harsh and wine, despite of the good mood it brings, does not nourish mortals."

"There is nothing wrong with mixing wine and sweet embraces in the depths of shadows, my dear," Aphrodite added.

"Listen, little Hades, I'm going to tell you the story of a promise I was able to keep even though the guy to whom I made it died, it could inspire you a little!"

Curious despite himself, Zagreus sighed deeply and opens his ears wide. He just wishes that Dyonisos finishes his monologue quickly so he can offer him his blessing and let him get back on his way as soon as possible.

"Have you ever heard of the name Prosymnus?"

The son of the underworld puts his hands on his hips and sought in his memory for the many stories he may have heard here and there. Even though the god didn’t see him shake his head, he continued his story.

"You see, once I became a god, I wanted to find my mother, but she was in a place beyond my reach: the underworld."

Touched by a story similar to his, Zagreus suddenly offered him his full attention.

"I didn't really want Hades to know about it, so I asked here and there if anyone knew a discreet way to get down there and back. By the way, since that story, your father has had the passage closed, ahah! Anyway, so, there was this man, _oh this man_ , if you had seen him... Yes, long story short, Prosymnus showed me a way and guided me. And since I'm a nice guy I promised him a blessing and you know what he asked me? To make love to me!"

Zagreus strangled himself with his saliva and almost coughs his lungs out.

"Once the pact was made, I went to look for my mother in hell, I barely escaped your dear doggo and I came back up. Except when I returned, the poor bugger was dead! But I am a god of honor and of words, so I took a good bottle of ambrosia to brainstorm and _boom_! Solution!"

As soon as Dyonisos speaks to him, Zagreus always wanted to stop him to remind him to sober up before continuing, but for once, he listened to him without thinking about it.

"I took a piece of fig wood, carved and polished it to look like a phallus and went to his grave to ritually complete my promise. I may have gone a bit too far, because he almost materialized himself to accompany me!"

His jaw unhooked so much that he swore he could hear it hit the ground. Aphrodite allowed herself to add what she knew about this story.

"This adorable creature has been so graced by this action he has been transcended in death and has risen up to here! He comes to see our dear Dyonisos from time to time, and vice versa."

"This man is worth all the trouble in the world ! " the god of wine exclaimed, then Zagreus could almost see him mimicking with his hands while he admiringly added." He has one of the best..."

" What our friend is trying to tell you, my little godling, the goddess of love abruptly cuts him off, so as not to let him hear the rest, is to find a solution by yourself if you ever miss your dear and tender one a little bit too much."

Zagreus first had to digest the whole story and by doing so, understood why Aphrodite was making fun of Dyonisos who didn't seem more interested in her that much. Then he realized the depth of the advice the two deities were giving him and blushed even more. Breathless and flabbergasted, he strangled himself in his words and stammered unintelligible words.

" We're going to let you think about it all alone, okay, dear? "Aphrodite said as she perceived the strong emotions in his heart." In the meantime, here's a little something from the both of us !"

Then he received a duo boon. Still stunned by the exchange, he remained shocked in the middle of the chamber for a long time. He was able to shake himself up and continue on his way only after long minutes of blankness. Disturbed by the story of Dyonisos, he was distracted and beated in the fields of the Elysium.

He grumbled as he was emerging from the bloody lake. Further away, he saw his surprised father sitting back down. Just before, he was gathering his last papers before going to put on his armor to fight him as usual. Zagreus passed without saying anything in front of Hypnos who greeted him.

"A Strongbow this time? What a surprise, it hadn't happened to you in a while !"

He vaguely heard him thank him for dying and continued on his way. His father questioned him just with his eyes, but he didn’t even hold his gaze and goes straight to his room. He took the time for a brief wash, to change his clothes and let himself fall on the bed, only dressed in a crimson exomis.

With his eyes closed, the frustration continuing to gnaw at his heart and soon sends tingling sensations into his pelvis. Of course he could masturbate, he had done it before, it wasn't a big deal. However what he has been craving wasn't just a release, he wanted Thanatos. All the branches of fig tree cut, polished and covered with oil couldn't equal the presence of the personification of death under his palm. He wanted to feel his skin under his fingers, the weight of his body on top of his, his breath burning to be lost on his mouth as their lips melted together with endless kisses. He was missing Thanatos painfully.

He grunted, pressing his palms against his eyes, raging against himself. Couldn't he fall in love with someone who was easier to meet and whose schedule was more malleable?

He distractedly touched the butterfly he was holding between his fingers and concentrating on the slight sensation of his lover's presence. Sligh, discreet, immersed in shadows and unfathomable darkness, but there. This was why he wore this keepsake inside his clothes, right against his heart.

Did he touch himself while holding the pierced butterfly against his heart? Of course he did. Was he satisfied? Not at all. Annoyed, he cleaned himself off and stands up. He tried to take it upon himself, to occupy his mind, talking with his friends, but every time the missing feeling comes back to him and beats him down.

He walked a little in circles in the corridors, hoping to come across the shadow of a scythe, but he doesn’t see anything. With death in his soul, he returned to Tartarus. He hoped, again and again, to see Thanatos arrive on his own, but he remained on his own again.

He froze when he arrived in front of Theseus and Asterius. The blond-haired hero glorified their fusional and eternal friendship once more. While Zagreus watched them stand side by side, praising their unbreakable bond, he was feeling terribly alone. His face closed and contracts into a small painful expression as a deep feeling of loneliness scratches his blood. Asterius reacted to this change, even though he had already noticed his unusual quietness. Before he can interrupt him, his acolyte he took a boastful and proud posture and made a bomb-like comment.

"Are you jealous of our proximity, demon? Nothing would be more legitimate! Asterius and I never leave each other all day long ! I assume without a doubt most of your horrible days are spent alone!"

It was too much and Zagreus jumps on Theseus with all his strength, his eyes wet. The surprised minotaur stayed stunned when the spear rushed beside him to meet his partner's shield. He watched his challenger fight against the king of the arena who was deeply disturbed by this behavior. They still had fun even if their exchanges were usually rather teasing, pinched with wild and sometimes acidic repartee. But this time the son of hell was almost on the verge of tears and full of rage.

Something was wrong and before Asterius could even get into battle posture, he noticed the prince pulling out a small stuffed toy that he kept inside his wide belt. Zagreus called out a name with a vibrant, urgent and almost desperate voice he immediately recognizes.

"Than!"

Thanatos’s shape appeared in a glow of cold greenish light. As the bull found himself in the black and purple circle of death, he didn’t think to move to save his life. All he saw was the intense visual exchange between this newcomer and the prince. His eyes widened as he noticed how much the world seemed to disappear around them. As the light pierced through him to take his life, he smiled and blowed out his nostrils in amusement. In an instant and without any regrets, he disappeared with his acolyte.

The Colosseum screamed and shouted the name of the winner who was not aware of it. All his attention was focused on his lover whom he hadn’t seen for too long and whom he was approaching. Thanatos knew, at the very moment he saw the sparkling in Zagreus' eyes, the prince was going to kiss him in front of everyone. The shadows already knew about them, but he was keen on a minimum of public decency. He grabbed his companion's wrist and carried him through the door as fast as he could.

Surprised by the attraction, Zagreus had to run to keep up with the other man's flying pace. As soon as the door closed, the hubbub of the crowd almost completely muffled. Zagreus didn't wait any longer to pull Thanatos towards him, one hand grasping his garment and the second his shoulder pad. Then they finally exchange an intense kiss.

He felt his breath cut as violently as if he was being hit in the chest, his heart beating wildly and his belly seemed to swell with a swarm of restless butterflies. The rough happiness of finally feeling him against his skin made him lose his sense of reality. He let himself be carried away, his bruning feet leaving the ground and his arms around his lover’s neck. The kisses deepens into a burning and smothering passion. The more the seconds pass, the tighter they hold each other, pressing their bodies so tightly together that they swore they could merge.

Thanatos brought them back to reality when he hissed because of the painful feeling of urgency in his mind. Zagreus recognized this reaction and knew what it means: the work couldn’t wait any longer. He didn't insist any further but by giving a last steamy kiss against his lips and letting himself being put back on the floor. Out of breath, they were struggling to speak again. The reaper nevertheless pushed himself to explain the situation.

"Sorry, Zag, I..."

"I know" he smiled, his voice blown by the tenderness he felt for him.

"Epidemic, a lot of work... I'm sorry, Zag, I... Good luck for the rest."

He disappeared right after these words, without even waiting for the slightest answer. Unlike he would have thought, the prince didn't feel frustrated or even disappointed, but deeply relieved. These two short minutes, which had seemed to last for hours, completely fulfilled him.

 _Blood and darkness_ , he had missed Thanatos!


	2. Chapter 2

After being defeated by a clever and very cunning attack from his father, Zagreus came out of the Pool of Styx and bursted a loud laugh out. As the radiance resonating throughout the Great Hall by its clarity and pure happiness, everyone turned to him, both surprised and delighted by his joviality.

Hypnos approached him as he came out of the pool and grabbed a towel to dry himself.

" _Woaaaa_ , to what do we owe such an honor? Not that I'm going to complain about it, I'd rather hear you laugh than see the face you've been digging up lately."

"Sorry, I didn't feeling very well, but it's over now."

"Good, so much the better ! I was starting to worry, so much so I only fell asleep an hour after you left!"

"You must have been really worried, then" added his friend, dropping a comical noisy kiss on his cheek.

"You have no idea ! You could save me from such a thing by not worrying me any more for example. It would be a start, he said with his own unique way."

"I would consider it, thanks, Hypnos."

The son of the underworld chuckled and put the dirty towel in the basket. He took a few steps, then turns to his childhood friend who was returning to his favourite place.

"My father won't be here for a while, would you like to take a break?" he suggested, waving a bottle of nectar.

"Oh, Zag, you're really too nice to me, I'm going to end up getting ideas!" the god of sleep joked.

"We won't tell Than anything, it will be fine."

"I could always put him to sleep!"

They were both laughing and made their way to his room to share a drink on his bed while talking a little bit about everything. Hypnos soon learned about the romantic meeting and understood the reason for such a good mood. Cheered up to see him so in love, he smiled and silently listened to him. At least, until he fell asleep as usual. Also lying on his bed, Zagreus gradually got lost in his thoughts and short after, in his dreams.

He didn't sleep for long, since Dusa came to wake him up shyly and gently. When he learned his father had returned and was looking for Hypnos, he got agitated and shakes his friend to go back to work. Although he wasn’t very self-motivated, his new professional conscientiousness made him get up anyway and float above the ground to his post.

Zagreus thanked Dusa and left her leave as quickly as she came with an amused smile on his face. He got up lazily and went out for a walk to see everyone. Achilles, his mother and Nyx were talking together in the living room with a drink in front of them. He waved to them from afar, but didn’t dare to interrupt their conversation. Since Orpheus was present, he requested a song which was generously granted to him, then greets his father and returns to his room to put in order the minor prophecies he wished to deal with.

Even so, he stood and bent over to write from time to time. Deep in his thoughts, he didn't see the person who was entering.

"You could use the chair, but I know this would be too much to ask."

The deep voice from which he perceived the teasing despite his seemingly calmness made him straighten up suddenly. He smiled up to his ears and approached Thanatos to greet him lovingly with a kiss. The man smiled and finally took the time to appreciate the hug. Although their lips separated, their faces cling together.

"I thought you had too much work to do," Zagreus whispered, pleasantly surprised." I didn't expect to see you when I came back."

"I tried to be quick. First to catch up, then to give myself some time" confessed his lover." The epidemic didn't leave me too much time, even though normally I wouldn't have to take care of them."

"But isn't the disease a natural death ?" he asked, feeling disturbed as he let him leave his arms.

"Yes, but that's not my department. New gods, new offices, new paperworks. You'd have known this if you'd kept your previous job."

"Fuck you."

They laughed and Thanatos leaned over to give him another unexpected but no less appreciated kiss. He dived his eyes into the yellowish ones and little by little, he felf his attractiveness send tingling in his pelvis. His smile half faded away while his gaze was passionately veiled. Orpheus' song’s monopolizing the main hall and echoing up to them, muffled by the doors and the distance though. They were far away from all this agitation, isolated, alone...

"How much time do you have left?"

This falsely innocent question resonated with his real intentions. Thanatos didn’t even need to interpret the warm tone of his voice to understand it. He put his hand on his cheek and caress it briefly, then moves closer to him to blow a simple word over his lips.

"Enough."

It was sufficient for the prince to kiss him and pull him to his bed. They took off their clothes, exchanged fiery kisses, and mingle their bodies in the most ardent embrace. Shaken in the etheric waves of carnal pleasure, they didn’t hold back their voices and offered themselves to each other without restriction. Thanatos's voice remained shy, rapping and hoarse, unlike Zagreus’s which is filling the room. Its strength however caressed the eardrums of Death like a crimson silk veil sliding over his skin, sounding with such finesse he could swear to be hearing the song of a nymph.

Already completely charmed, Thanatos kissed his lips to silence him and ignored the strident sounds in his mind. He refused to leave now, this precious and intense moment managed to erase the slightest thought from his mind to lighten the invisible weight on his shoulders. Little by little, everything blended and twisted into a warm and comfortable cocoon where they basked into.

And then, the void. They only felt their presence, their bodies, their breaths, their pleasure, nothing else. They felt themselves living in their motions, dying under every ecstatic assault and being reborn with every kiss.

The tension in their bodies increased until it reached its peak before it burst. The waves following it deliciously flooded into each of their cells for a short moment, tasting as sweet and burning as ambrosia. They hugged each other as tightly as possible to tame the strong emotions, their limbs tangled and their voices crashing against their sweaty skins.

The intense sensations gave way to more delicate and gentle ones. In the warmth of their passion, they simply stayed in each other's arms, eyes closed, and savored this moment of tenderness they rarely had the opportunity to obtain. They however weren’t thinking of the cruelly long time that would separate them and stayed grounded in the present.

Minutes followed one another to mate and form a whole hour. The lovers, still embracing and burying themselves under their myriad of caresses, were just beginning to emerge from their world. Thanatos emitted a husky sound echoing down his throat and made Zagreus shiver from head to toe. Despite the lazy voice, he understood its meaning and accepted its fatality. He put the last kisses on his lips, following him when he straightens up, and let him leave the bed to pick up his clothes.

The Prince of Hell watched him get dressed, tidy and presentable as if this is the most captivating piece of theater he had ever seen. He could ask him about his delay, ask when he will return, if he will be long, if he will help him in his next escape attempts, but he simply remained silent. He felt whole and complete, just having him in his sight while the warmth of his body still marked his own.

Finally ready, Thanatos turned to him one last time after putting his clothes at the foot of the bed. They shared one last glance filled with all the affection and admiration they had for each other, before he disappeared in a greenish glow.

With a sweet smile, he also prepared himself before leaving his room as the craving for a good glass of nectar delight his senses. While coming into the East Hall, he immediately saw Orpheus struggling to catch his breath, a hand on his throat. Surprised, he slowed down until he stopped. Then, he noticed Nyx and his father staring at him intensely with a blank look on their faces. Confused, he turned to his foster mother.

"Something wrong?"

"I'm afraid your meeting with my son was more thunderous than you think, my child."

When he finally understood why the shades in the Hallway and his family seem so dumbfounded, he began to blush, speechless. Orpheus looked at him and waved his hand in his direction with a pleased smile.

"My friend, your voice carries incredibly! It was very difficult to surpass, but I expected no less from a god related to Dyonisos. This will be another praise I may tell!"

Frightened to hear him sing something so intimate and embarrassing, Zagreus jumped in front of the artist to beg him not to do it. If Persephone stifled her laughter, her husband was flabbergasted. In the past, his relationship with his son wasn't as relaxed as it is now, but he had always kept a certain tenderness towards him. A tenderness that had grown since they had been reconciled. Facing his emotional development violently aggressed his paternal instincts, even more when hearing him in ecstasy with one of his most devoted subjects.

To escape from this odd ambiance, they all returned to their primary occupations. With no further ado, Zagreus jumped out of his backyard window and entered into Tartarus. He made the whole ascent again until he reached the heroes of the Elysium. After a relaxed and friendly exchange with Patroclus, he never anticipated Theseus shouting something so embarrassing in front of the entire Colosseum.

"You, demon! he begins, his frustration and nerves in full bloom, stirring up to him. I'm going to make sure that your sweet, pernicious voice vibrates again, but this time with the greatest pain when your stinging defeat at my spear comes!"

Zagreus took a little second before he figured out what he was talking about and became redder than the decorative fabric he was currently wearing. With a confused expression, Asterius turned his head towards his partner who was shaking because of his overwhelming feelings.

"My king, you should reconsider your words..."

"This demon deserves to hear every word that comes out of my mouth! Remember them and hear them again even when he is far from my holy presence!"

"Like hell I am" the jaded prince said with a sigh." Asking the house contractor to display a wall-scroll of you above my bed?"

" Is it possible?" Theseus quickly asked, tense and enthusiastic and excited.

Blindsided and confused by this reaction, the god of blood froze. His eyebrows crushing his eyes, his mouth forming a long, thin line, he stared at his opponent, whose cheeks he swore he saw turning pink. The king got himself together in a jolt when Asterius blowed his nostrils in amusement.

"What does it matter! If you think putting my sublime portrait in your pitiful devilish apartments is enough to charm me, then you're barking up the wrong tree! On guard!"

Still disconcerted, Zagreus had difficulty to enter the fight. After a few exchanged blows, he manages to concentrate and quickly regained the upper hand. He defeated Asterius first and hears Theseus unsurprisingly shout his name. He didn't give him time to mourn and assaults him with his spear until he died.

Theseus fell to his knees as he felt his presence fading away. He raised his eyes to his challenger one last time before opening them. With a soft smile on his lips, Zagreus tenderly looked at the pierced butterfly pinned inside his clothes. The hero of the arena didn’t hear the crowd chanting the name of his rival because all his attention is focused on him.

"Demon..."

He disappeared after that last sigh. The prince turned his head towards him because he hadn’t understood what he had said, but he just saw him go to dust. He shrugged his shoulders and left the stadium after one last sign of overexcited shades. His passage through the narrow chambers of the Satyrs was brief and he was able to corrupt his dog before fighting his father.

"By the way, boy..."

His son made a brief sound as dodging the spear to prove he was listening.

" I understand your recent affair with Thanatos occupies all your mind when you are at home, but would it be possible to be more discreet about it?"

Zagreus stumbles in the snow, his cheeks turning red. Discussions between two thrusts of a spear are quite common now, but they have never discussed such an intimate subject before. Hades seemed so embarrassed so he can’t help but laughing when he got up as quickly as he could.

"This is not funny, boy!"

"You're not the first to remind me that everyone heard me, I've been hearing that since the Tartarus. Sisyphus complimented me, Alecto swore to make me shout in another way and Theseus openly flirted with me, so well..."

Hades suddenly froze. The interruption of the fight surprised his only child who interrogated him with one glance. The red irises in the black eyes were shining furiously.

"King Theseus did what?"

 _Oh_...

"I said something?" Zagreus innocently whispered.

"Oh how much was he able to keet his title after a well-considered pact, no one in this realm is allowed to approach you!"

"It's not as if I'm going to answer" the prince said with a sigh." Then what would that do? When I had an affair with Meg last millennium, you didn't say anything."

"For Megara, it wasn't the same thing."

"How is it different?"

The King of Hell stayed stunned, his eyes wide open looking at his only son. Confused, Zagreus was waiting for his answer. After all, Hades had already warned Thanatos about his duty as god of death and not to break his heart. With Megara, their intimacy had stopped after a few rough flirts in their teens, an occasional sex or two in the following century. They had stopped on their own after a violent argument, well before she took her place in the underworld to torture mortal souls.

"What, because she wasn't working at that time? Than is working very well, you know."

"Let's stop stalling !" his father intervened while putting himself on guard." Theseus will return to the place he should occupy, willingly or unwillingly."

"Actually, I find it quite amusing to see him in denial" Zagreus said chuckling. "As long as we're talking about intimacy, mother asked me to tell you she wants to change the potteries, she can't stand them anymore."

"What does the potteries got to do with that ?" the giant grumbled, letting the head of his spear fall to the ground.

"We need your seal to authorize the house contractor to handle this section. If you ask me, we should change that part of the administration."

"My administration is fine the way it is!"

"Tell that to mother."

"No, **you** go tell her!" he replied, pointing to him. "Come on, go, let's get it over with. You'll tell her that the potteries will stay where they are !"

Zagreus sighed dramatically as he releases his body, then he made his sword disappear and went to the surface. He was used to this annoying habit of his parents using him as a messenger because they insist on not arguing in front of each other.

"Seriously, I don't look anything like Hermes. Couldn’t they make an effort?"

Even though he was annoyed, he spread the word to his mother. Without surprise the woman complained about her husband's childish stubbornness. She was so busy storming against him she barely noticed her son slowly passing away. Then Thanatos arrived to fetch him and stayed dumbstruck as he watched the queen grumble against Hades while standing next to the deceased prince. Once she noticed his presence, she became silent and looked down on Zagreus, whose feet and crown went out.

"Oh."

" Good evening, my queen" Thanatos said respectfully in a curtsy.

" I changed your diapers and you fell in love with my son, there's no need to be so formal."

Thanatos felt helpless at such examples, especially the first one. He swallowed with difficulty and kneels down to take care of his lover. Delicately, he took him in his arms and lifted him up while holding him tightly against him. Persephone stood up with him as he saw Charon's boat arrive at the riverside. He solemnly greeted his brother with a respectful gesture of the head. The boatman did the same and waited patiently for his client.

She smiled softly as she watched her best friend's son hug her own with such tenderness. Thus, Death itself seemed to defy the Fates to take his beloved away from him.

" I'm delighted to see you together, really" she confessed.

Astonished by her speaking and even more by her words, Thanatos finally looked up at her.

"Nyx showed me some paintings of you as a child and told me that you were always sticking together. Like two flames unable to stop themselves from coming closer and dancing together."

"Mother Nyx told you about..." he said and began to blush with shame.

"Don't worry, my son is a very good dancer, he'll be able to help you make up for this lack of rhythm.

He was so embarrassed he felt like the river Styx was submerging him. Persephone laughed and said goodbye to him before boarding Charon's boat. Thanatos watched them leave, still a little embarrassed. Then he disappeared in a greenish glow and reappeared in the Great Hall of the main house. He ignored the murmurs of the shades about them and heads for the bloody pool. In order to spare their clothes, at least as much as possible, he removed their exomis and parts of armor before going with Zagreus in his arms inside the crimson water. He let him be submerged and released him.

Further away, Hypnos watched him with a small amused smile on his lips. They waited patiently until the god of sleep saw his friend's name appear on his list.

"Ah, he's coming back" he soliloquied in a whisper.

Thanatos saw an incandescent glow beneath the surface before two hands reached out to him. He smiled discreetly as he felt the arms wrap around his shoulders, his lover bursting with new life from the waves. They hugged each other gently and enjoy the moment despite the queue extending in front of Hades' desk.

"It's rare for you to come and get me" Zagreus whispered with a smile, huddled against his neck.

"I had to come back here for work, so I took the opportunity to see you."

Overjoyed and with a beating heart, the prince laughed a little and tightened up close to him. Then, he laid a fickle kiss on his skin before going up to his ear. He whispered a few sulphurous words low enough for only his lover to hear.

"Do you have enough time?"

Thanatos smiled, seduced. His hand caressed his back in a sensual slowness.

"Everything will depend on Hypnos."

"He's been more effective lately, states his companion, raising his head to see him and nodding with a funny little pout."

Amused, the reaper blowed from his nose before kissing him. As their reunion drags on, Hades cleared his throat, the sound resonating in the long corridor. The couple returned to reality and was willing to separate from each other. They wiped themself with the towels at their disposal before getting dressed.

Thanatos walked with Zagreus until he reached the level of his twin brother. He let his companion walk away after shared one last warm look. As he was still not paying attention to him after a long minute, Hypnos allowed himself to speak first.

" _Hey-there_ , do you copy? I don't have as much voice as the boss, you know."

"Pardon me" said his brother, almost stuttering which made him choke on a laugh he repressed at the last moment." I need you to check some lists for me. I've had calls for mortals, but when I got there, there was no one left. Would Charon have come to pick them up ?"

"Uh, I don't know, but that would be weird... Give me their names."

Thanatos made a golden list appear in his free hand and reads it to him. His brother studied his own with attention, taking his list one by one. After a long time, Hypnos made a cute pouting.

"I don't have anything either. Did you ask the service nearby?"

" I sent my request before coming here, they’ll call me back when they find something."

"Well, I'll make you a list of all the possibilities and services you could contact! In the meantime, try not to lose your mortals, what do you say? smiles the god of sleep nonchalantly.

"Mortals cannot just fly away, Hypnos" Thanato grumbled because he wasn’t in the mood for joking." And not all of them could have made a pact with Hades by coming here during their lifetime."

" I'll check, I promise! I would keep an eye out!... At least as much as possible."

The personification of death breathed a deep sigh before turning his feet. He reached his lover's room and was greeted with a kiss. When he felt him open the cloth to pull it away, he grabbed his wrist and moves away from his lips.

"Wait, I have work to do."

" Why would you come if you had some?" said Zagreus with a smile, his insolence making him shudder. "Your souls won't get very far, they just have to wait for you to come and collect them. Worst case scenario, what will happen? These mortals will just have a few more hours, that's all."

He was right, in all points, but Thanatos stubbornly worried about the souls he had mysteriously lost. The argument was reasoning in his mind, making its way to his heart. The kiss he received finally convinced him and he responded passionately to the embrace.

They lost themselves again in their tenderness and even fell asleep for a while. When he caught himself asleep, Thanatos straightened up in a jolt and swore he'd be late again. Zagreus’s arm and hand slipped against his skin before landing softly on the mattress. He only woke up when he left the bed. With his mind still foggy from sleep, he blinked several times and tried to understand the situation. Seeing his lover get so agitated made him laugh involuntarily and he pressed himself against the sheets.

The god of death was about to complain at him but when he saw him like this, the blanket stopping at his butt, he could only admire his body's curves. After a moment, he got himself together and continued to put on his stuff.

"Zag, you too have work to do, you have to get up."

"Later" he soberly replied, his hoarse and lazy voice suggesting he might fall asleep again at any moment.

"Oh, no, no, no, Zag, you're getting up."

"No..."

Being forced to use the hard way, Thanatos pulled the blanket and threw his clothes on his head. Defeated, Zagreus straightened up after a long last sigh of resignation. His logic still sleeping, he first put his exomis, sitting on the bed. The open and short fabrics offer an erotic view that delights his companion's eyes. Then, he took support with his hands behind him, keeping one leg extended across the bed and the second raised. By not seeing him keep getting dressed, Thanatos questions him.

"Doesn't it seem to you like a detail or two is missing?"

"Oh, which one?" said Zagreus, charming him by raising his knee and intermittently spreading it out, revealing his half-nakedness.

"I'm not stupid, Zag."

"I would never dare to say such a thing."

"I know what you're trying to do."

"What am I trying to do?"

"You're trying to keep me here."

"Is it working?"

Thanatos froze in front of such a lustful insolence. This big seductive smile immobilized him and his hypnotic gaze attracts him almost like a magnet, he can' t deny it.

"Nah" he grumbled, resisting as much as he could.

"Yet" Zagreus said in a lower and warmer voice "you're still here."

His hands became clammy and slightly shaky. All he had to put on is his shin armor and then he could leave, but did he really want to? The question was, **could** he really?

"You're still here" repeated his lover in an undertones as he devoured him with his eyes.

His ramparts were breaking into a thousand pieces and Thanatos can only reach the bed to kiss him. The answer came right away, and strong arms wrap around his shoulders. They let themselves fell back against the sheets and making love to each other without bothering to undress.

Completely cut off from any temporal landmarks, they didn’t know how long they stayed together. As they finished getting ready, Zagreus allowed himself to question his companion.

"You must be really late now, there's not too much ringing?"

"Strangely, no, I don't hear anything" Thanatos admitted." I'm gonna see why, I'll be a while."

The mere mention of a long period without seeing him made him sluk, but the prince was willing to let him go and offered him a last kiss. He appreciated the ultimate caress against his side before the reaper disappeared in a flash. Reasonable, he also left for work and went to his backyard to attempt another escape.


	3. Chapter 3

The days, or nights, followed one after the other without the personification of death showing up. The prince knew they couldn't see each other as often as he would like, but the longer and longer absences were weighing on his heart. So much so that he had no desire to try to escape the whole day.

Sitting next to Orpheus who was distractedly playing the lyre, he left his arms resting on his raised knees, a few of his fingers intertwining to join his hands together. With his head down, he made a long, deep sigh again. Hades exchanged a glance with his wife before suddenly getting up.

"All right, boy, that's enough. You are going to leave to test the security of my realm and I' ll be waiting for you at the gates. I'm leaving now so don't keep me waiting too long, otherwise... otherwise..."

Confused, Zagreus stared at him with a raised eyebrow. His father clearly saw how unmotivated he is, but he didn’t know what to say to bait him.

"Otherwise, I'd have to wait for you and be late!"

"As for me, I would be on the surface" Persephone intervened to help him, with joined hands, "Come on, my dear, you've got work to do!"

She bent down to place a kiss on his cheek and accepted her husband's shoulder to sit on and let him take her away. Calmness returned after their departure and their son let his head fall back, sighing again. Hypnos dared to approach, not missing the opportunity to take a break between two naps. He also tried to cheer up his friend by all means.

"Hey, at this rate, they'll make you a little brother who will have to take over your job and give you more free time."

"Please, Hypnos, please!" Zagreus eclaimed, stiff and pale as he was staring at him, "I don't need to think about that now!"

The god of sleep simply shruged his shoulders nonchalantly. The prince exhaled a heartbreaking sigh again and Orpheus put a hand on his shoulder.

"What's bothering you, my friend?"

"Since we haven't heard anything for weeks, I assume my brother is no longer around."

"It's only been a few weeks ?" the prince whispered, too surprised to pick up the other part of his teasing sentence. "I feel like it's been ages..."

"Sir Thanatos is the personification of death, he has a lot of work to do regarding natural deaths, which includes bad weather and old age" Orpheus explained.

"And on top of that, sometimes he also has to deal with the dead by illness because the department nearby is so overwhelmed" Hypnos added, "The poor man must barely have time to breathe."

"He should ask to delegate some cases or have a partner" Zagreus complained, "He would have more time...

"Because would you accept having someone else take care of the escape ?"

He grinded his teeth, his reaction spoke for itself although he refused to admit it. The god and the musician repressed their laughter so as not to offend him.

"Never mind" the prince grumbled, "I miss Than, but I can't do anything to chage it. I just have to wait for him to come back. He shouldn't be long now, he's never been away for more than a month or two."

"I wouldn't be as sure as you" his childhood friend invalidated, so Zagreus looked at him seriously, "Thanatos is worried and when it comes to work, he doesn't give up."

"What do you mean worried?"

"He has lost souls and I must admit that even I don't know where they have gone."

"Is it possible to lost a soul ?" he stuttered.

"Oh" Orpheus exclaimed, "The god of death would be a absent-minded? What an exciting and dramatic fact, perfect for a song!"

"It’s not the time, friend" his two friends said at the same time, each in his own way.

"Wait, wait" Zagreus said while pinching the bridge of his nose, " Hypnos, what do you mean « _he has lost souls_ » ?"

"We don't really know" the god answered, waving his hands wide open, a nonchalant smile on his lips, "I advised him to avoid losing any more after the first time, but he didn't listen to me. I'm used to never being listened to."

"But you can't lose a soul! Either it ends up here, or Thanatos is not called, but if he has heard the call then the mortal can only wait for him to come!"

"I couldn't tell you" Orpheus lamented, "I came here of my own free will. Doesn't he come looking for you when you are on the surface?"

"No, the river Styx takes me away. He can come and get me, but it' s rare."

"I made him a list of all the possibilities and the services involved" Hypnos informed him. "We can only wait until he has gone through it all."

Zagreus sighed deeply, both annoyed by the situation and by the fact he had to wait. His blood was boiling and crying out for action, so he stood up and slapped his own thighs.

"Well, my parents are waiting for me. Let me know when I get back if there's been any change."

"You'll go through my side anyway" Hypnos conceded with his distinctive cheerfulness.

He smiled, greeted his two friends and left. With a preoccupied mind, he didn't invoke his lover during his travels. Somehow he wondered why he hadn't told him about his problem, but reasoned quickly. Thanatos spoke very little about his work, let alone its complications. Still, he’s a little disappointed he didn't tell him, because he thought being trustworthy enough to receive a few confessions.

He fought his father, but got killed due to his inability to concentrate enough. He didn’t listen to Hades asking him to pull himself together and disappeared, swept away by the crimson river. He emerged into the Great Hall with a heartbreaking sigh. While everything seemed to be dark and against him, he saw Nyx's twins talking together further away. Suddenly his heart pounded in his chest, his eyes widened and the universe faded away, leaving only his lover in his vision. He smiled and walked fast to join him. He could have run, but a sudden embarrassment caught him and pushed him to contain himself. However, he didn’t miss a quick kiss that made him smile up to his ears.

"I don't have much time, sorry" Thanatos said, seeing him pouting with disappointment, "But I'm glad I ran into you anyway."

"When will you be back?" the prince asked, keeping one arm around his waist, Thanatos's arm around his shoulders.

"I don't know, I'll try to be quick. Don't wait for me, you can go back to work."

"It's all right, brother, there's no need to close him out, he knows" Hypnos explained, which earned him a murderous look from his brother, " _Wow_ , easy, easy, he was worried because you didn't give any news! I just explained why."

"Why didn't you tell me ?" Zagreus asked his boyfriend, not hiding the fact he was somewhat hurt by being put aside.

"That's my job, Zag, my business. Whether I tell you or not will not solve the problem."

"Maybe not, but you could, just to ease your conscience, I don't know" he grumbled, irritated.

"You don't tell me about the problems you might have with your repeated escapes either, I don't see how it's any different."

"I don't really want to witness your lover's quarrel, so let's make it quick, shall we?" Hypnos intervened, waving his hands, his eternal smile on his face.

The prince breathed a long sigh as he rolled his eyes to the sky, but they still didn’t let go of each other.

"Well" Hypnos said, "as I was saying before you arrived, I've been trying to use my connections and sending messages here and there, but I've got nothing either. However, in our archives just behind, we have a list with the same date as yours and _congratulations_ , your mortals are dead!"

"What ?" his brother gasped, as bewildered as the prince, "but how come?"

"I don't know, especially since they never made it this far."

"But then why do we have their names on file?" his friend asked.

"I don't know, but our information is limited to hell. If someone ever asked an outside contact to check theirs, we could pool it."

For once one of his obvious tips is right, the couple stayed put. Zagreus pointed him out, round-eyed.

"You're a genius!"

"I know, you should listen to me more often."

He pulled him by the collar to noisily kiss his cheek which made him laugh. Then he offered a last kiss to Thanatos before running away without another word. He crossed his room and the window of his courtyard in a hurry to rush into the Tartarus. In record time, he reached Tisiphone and defeated her. Once in the Asphodel he managed to find a message from Hermes. Immediately, he summoned his lover, even if he couldn’t use Mort until his next escape. Thanatos at his side, he accepted the message of the god of speed.

"Hi, coz'! You're in good company I see!"

"Hermes, would it be possible to send you a request? Or even a _mutually beneficial_ arrangement" Zagreus suggested by gently shaking a bottle of nectar in his hand, a calculating smile on his lips.

"With such an offer, how could I refuse!"

He chuckled and stretched the bottle towards the luminous sphere in order to suck it in in a blinding shine.

"What would you unofficially like to know, coz'?"

Zagreus turned to his companion to encourage him to speak.

"I have a list of mortals we have archived dead, but they aren't in the underworld for some reason. Could you check to see if they're with you instead?"

"May you give it to me?"

Thanatos reluctantly brought his list up and offered it to the sphere.

"It's a very strange affair indeed, but I'll check it out for you and pass it on to our ferryman! And as usual, I'm not aware of it! Come on, coz', a few boons for you and good luck!"

The discussion stoped and Zagreus felt filled with a new speed.

"Well" he turned to his lover, "We just have to wait now."

Thanatos took him in his arms to kiss him whithout warning. The surprised prince opened wide his eyes because his lovers was usually so reserved outside his chamber. However, this astonishment didn’t stop him to appreciate the sweetness and closing his eyelids to respond. After a little while, his mouth was freed so he could speak again with a smile.

"I'm not going to complain, but why so suddenly?"

"For your help" the god explained, his embarrassment made him even more lovely.

"I should meddle in your business more often then" he whispered as he sought more kisses.

They savored their embrace, which was getting longer and longer. Suddenly, the ground rumbled and Hades's hoarse, thunderous voice resounded.

"Don't forget I can see everything in my domain, boy."

The couple suddenly pulled apart, one embarrassed to have been reprimanded by his boss and the other amused. Zagreus prefered to keep to himself the crazy fantasy of sleeping over somewhere in the Tartarus or the Elysium, because he was aware that his father would inevitably surprise them. His voice already carried enough at home for him to allow himself such a spectacle.

"See you at home?" he smiled towards Thanatos.

"As soon as I can" the man promised.

They smiled one last time before Nyx's son disappears. Zagreus resumed his journey, feeling lighter and relieved to know that his attempt to help was welcome. His excellent mood enabled him to strike down Lernie and the heroes of Elysium without concern. He quickly reached the tunnels of the Satyrs and visited some of them looking for a treat for Cerberus.

When he emerged victorious from this quest, he froze and hid behind a pillar. From afar, he caught Hermes in the company of Charon on the banks where the ferryman's shop stood. Standing close to each other, they were talking quietly. Zagreus supposed it only was a commercial exchange, after all his cousin was a messenger. But he caught the god of speed lifting the brim of the dark hat with a teasing gesture, a broad smile on his lips.

Both curious and fascinated, Zagreus kept observing them and asked himself if he should wait a bit to leave them alone. Even if the two entities refused to talk about it, their relationship was obsiously one of a high degree of intimacy. He couldn’t believe they maintained a strictly professional atmosphere, not when he saw Hermes revolving so closely around Charon to the point where the long luminous scarf almost wraped around the dark robe.

Hermes finally stopped before taking a scroll out of his embroidered canvas bag, Charon appeared agitated and quickly grabed the scroll. The prince was speechless as he discerned the joy and tenderness of the two companions while the Chthonian god read in silence. The Olympian waited patiently, flying on the spot with his chin resting in his palms and his eyes not leaving his colleague at all.

Zagreus could feel it in the smallest of his cells: something intimate and personal was happening, something he should perhaps never have seen. He felt uncomfortable spying on them like that, so he took advantage of the suspended moment to finally approach them. After a few steps, he perceived a brief oral exchange between the two deities. If he didn’t understand what Charon was saying, he was able to hear the end of Hermes' sentence.

"… sure Eudoros and Angelia will be delighted! I will pass the word to them."

He got lost in the boatman's gaze and Zagreus failed to make a good backward step when he saw him become so affectionate. He knew what this expression of infinite tenderness meant, it’s usually followed by a loving kiss. The anguish of really being in the wrong place at the wrong time paralyzed him and he didn’t know if he should say anything.

Luckily, if Charon had his back turned, Hermes was facing him and discoverd him. He almost jumped at the sight of him and became agitated as he turned redder than the river Styx. Panicked, he stutters briefly to say goodbye to his associate and leaves in a thin thread of light. Thanatos' older brother followed the movement with his eyes, looking a little disappointed, before turning around. Zagreus stiffened when he shoot him with an irritated expression. Deeply uncomfortable, he decided to speak despite his knotted throat.

"Excuse me... I've just... Well, I'm here to... to..."

Unable to finish or to support his glance, he made his wide-eyed fall to the ground while pointing the stalls with his finger. Charon breathed a deep sigh, mixing weariness and disappointment he understood as a bored invitation. In order not to take too long, Zagreus apologized again and quickly chose his merchandise before leaving to join his father. Completely disturbed by what he had just witnessed, he made silly mistakes and was sliced with a spear. He vaguely heard Hades ask him to do better next time before he got carried away.

The prince cursed against the weapon of the lord of the underworld as he emerged from the pool in the Great Hall. He joined Hypnos and engaged the conversation while cleaning himself.

"Dead by censorship again? A real scourge!"

"I know, right ?" he sighed.

He looked at him so intensely for long seconds it made his friend uncomfortable.

"I have a pillow fold on my cheek?" the god of sleep asked.

"No, no, I... Tell me, how well do you know Charon?"

"Uh, not very well. I've rarely seen him, to tell the truth. Thanatos meets him from time to time when he's working, but he never talks to mom-- _our mother, I mean"_ he added quickly to correct his nonchalance.

He marked a pause. Somehow this didn't surprise him since Thanatos never talked to his elder brother either.

"And do the names Eudoros and Angelia tells anything to you?"

"No, I don't have anything on my lists. You can always ask Charon the next time you see him, he might have saw them! Oh, by the way would you say hello to him with a little drawing?"

"Yes, of course" Zagreus smiled, amused by his advice.

"I'm going to make him the **best** illustration of aaaaaall hell! If you don't mind waiting a little while, just until I finish..."

"All right, do your best. Meanwhile, I'm going to see everyone a little bit."

"Oh I have no doubt about it, especially since I saw a green glow in your room, so..."

He suddenly fell silent, his words hanging in the air, while keeping his so particular smiling expression as he didn’t dare to say clearly the bottom of his thought. Understanding the essential, Zagreus laughed a little and shook his hands.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise, I won't make any noise."

"Hope makes you live as they say! Or die, in your case" Hypnos said cheerfully and waving his pen.

"I'll come back later."

"See you later."

He let his friend draw, even though he should be concentrating on his work instead, and went to his mother. They talked briefly, but he was as happy as every conversation they had. Without being able to help himself, he covered Cerberus's affectionate head again with all the caresses he wanted. However, he quickly went to his apartments as he didn’t want to keep his lover waiting any longer.

Predictable, Thanatos waited patiently for him by standing in front of the mirror of night. His original idea was to greet him with a kiss and talk a little to enjoy his presence, but urge and desire caught him almost unexpectedly. He offered him his most seductive smile and begins to undress. His impatience made Thanatos grow an amused breath through his nose and approached him, unclutching his arms.

Even before reaching the bed, they were naked and hung from their lips. Zagreus did his best to hold back his voice during lovemaking by different means: a hand pressed on his mouth, his lips tightened or bitten, or by keeping his head in his cushions. Thanatos was surprised to be charmed by this effort and had to slow down so as not to finish too quickly. They kissed and pressed their mouths together to muffle the dizzying sounds the prince unwillingly let out.

They loved each other for a long time before they simply huddled under the crimson sheets embroidered with gold. Lying on his companion's chest, the god of life played at following the contours of his muscles with his fingertips. Thanatos's arm wrapped around his shoulders and he enjoyed feeling the shy and discreet caresses of his hand.

"You have no news for the list?" the god of death finally dared to ask.

"No, otherwise Hermes would have warned me when I ran into him at your brother's shop."

Surprised and intrigued, Thanatos frowned and tilted his head as much as possible to look at him.

"Did you see him with Charon?"

"Yeah, they both seemed..."

Zagreus held his sentence in suspense, his eyes into space, and despite his impatience, his lover waited for him to resume.

"Close."

"Close?"

"Yeah, close. Like ... Well, close."

A silence full of questions took place, mainly because Thanatos didn’t understand what he is trying to get at.

"Do you know Eudoros and Angelia?"

"It doesn't ring a bell, why?"

Zagreus hesitated for a moment before getting agitated and rolling on his belly in order to lie on his body. His boyfriend froze to feel him thus clinging to him, his skin pressed against his own being of an almost criminal smoothness.

"Your brother and Hermes were talking about them, but they fell silent as soon as I arrived."

"Maybe it's just because it's none of your business, Zag. You shouldn't insist if they don't tell you about it."

"You don't realize how frustrating it is! They dodge the subject so much with their unsolicited rebuttals it almost invites me to investigate!"

"Or they're repeating themselves because they know you're stubborn."

"I can't leave it like that!"

Thanatos breathed a long sigh as he let his head fall back on the cushions. Zagreus refused to give up and straightened up to sit on his hips. His gesture, however natural and not seductive, practically startled the deity who put his hands on his thighs. He wasn’t insensitive to this view and even less to the delicious contact of the hands continuing to play distractedly on his abs.

"There must be someone who knows something! I'm not sure Nyx knows anything, she already told me Charon was the most independent of all of you."

"You could just leave them alone, Zag, and get on with your work" Thanatos sighed.

"No, no, no, no !" the prince refected categorically by waving his hands, which shook his body and made his partner even more tense, "They've said too much now, it's impossible!"

"You're still meddling in things you' re not concerned about. Ask them and if they tell you to let it go, you let it go."

"But I--"

"Zag..."

They stared at each other, one frustrated and the other strict. After a while, Zagreus rolled his eyes to the sky with a head movement following it and breathed a deep sigh.

"Okay, okay, I'll ask them. I have to pass a drawing of Hypnos to Charon anyway."

"Hypnos wants to make him a drawing?" his companion repeated, bewildered.

"I asked him about those two names, not to mention the connection with Charon and Hermes. He might think they're two more people you've lost."

"So much the better, the less he knows, the less the underworld will know. Not being able to keep quiet is Hypnos's biggest defect among so many others he have."

"Neither do I" the prince smiled, quickly raising a shoulder in a seductive and cheeky manner.

"I wasn't talking about this!"

"I know, I just like to tease you a little."

He settled down against him and smiled even more. They were silent for a long minute while Hades' son stared at him charmingly.

"Should I also pretend I don't feel your second scythe pointing against my Asphodel's doors? Or can I take care of it?"

"You're such a..."

Thanatos didn’t finish his sentence and got back on top. Far from complaining, Zagreus burst out laughing as he wrapped his arms around his neck and received his passionate kiss. They loved each other again for a long time, feeling neither the weight of time nor that of their responsibilities.

Unsurprisingly, the personification of death prepared himself in a hurry because he was late and his lover laughed. Zagreus lied on his side and admired him getting restless because his silhouette was too pleasant for him to lose a single second of this spectacle. He straightened up only to grab his hand and pull it out to request a last kiss. Thanatos offered it to him, but disappeared while their lips were still pressed together. This rush made him laugh again for a moment.

Energized, Zagreus also got up and cleaned himself quickly before getting dressed. As he left his chambers, he glanced at Orpheus and saw him singing clamly as usual. Relieved to have been discreet enough, he continued on his way to Hypnos.

"Hey, so how are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm almost done, I just need a few more minutes" his friend informed him.

The flash of light in front of the hallway mirror immediately caught his eye.

"I'm going to see Achilles then, I'll be right back."

"Thanks for your patience!"

The prince smiled one last time in his direction before going to meet his master-of-arms who responded to his jovial expression as he saw him approaching.

"Good evening, lad."

"Good evening, or morning, I don't know" Zagreus chuckled, "I'll be leaving soon, I guess I would have just missed you here or up there."

"Indeed, I just got back. Pat will greet you in person."

He nodded his head, more to prove he was listening. His gaze got lost again into space and the hesitation could be read on his face. The guard waited for him to start, bending his head a little to invite him to express himself. After a long breath, his lips sucked in during his thinking, the prince spoke.

"The names Eudoros and Angelia ring a bell?"

Achilles blinked twice quickly with a surprised look as he stood up.

"I knew Eudoros, why?"

His apprentice stiffened to hear the news. Of course, he must question the two deities about it, but it was especially to know the links between these strangers and them. Learning unrelated anecdotes wouldn't do any harm, after all. At least, that's what he told himself to clear his conscience.

"I heard these names here and there, I was just a little bit curious. With my family on Olympus, I expect a little bit of everything, you know?"

This was an absolute fact, he learned every day about Zeus and Poseidon and often had to deal with their mistakes. He simply omitted to say his curiosity was, and he admit it, very misplaced and far from professional.

"Yes, I understand" Achilles smiled, leaning on his spear for a more nonchalant pose, "Eudoros was under my command."

Zagreus felt struck by hearing him talk about the war, a subject although taboo for this man.

"He was somewhat difficult and something strange was emanating from him. He was very independent, secretive and unable to follow orders. We could have tried to stop him from going to war, but if you had seen how fast this boy was able to run, you wouldn't believe it."

"What happened?"

"I had left him with Pat for a while because he was more skilled than me when it came to pedagogy, especially more patient."

"Yet you showed discipline and patience with me" the prince smiled, his childhood memories coming to the surface.

"Oh, you’re rebellious, lad, but not as much as he could be. Eudoros was a real tornado, and when he finally spoke, he barely articulated. He fought like no one else and was my second in great battles. As the years went by, we became good friends."

He played a little with his spear by repositioning his fingers he was looking distractedly with a sweet smile on his lips.

"He also was my best man at the unofficial union of Pat and me."

"Oh, so you were this close."

"He was like a brother to us."

"You said something strange came from him."

"Well, now that I know a little bit more about the different deities and their respective energies, I wonder if he wasn’t affiliated with one of them. As you so aptly put it, many were the children of Zeus and Poseidon crossed the path of mortals and their wars. "

"Didn't he age? "

"I don't remember seeing him actually age. You yourself know that the gods choose the appearance that suits them. Hermes, for example, still looks like a young man despite his seniority because he associates it with speed and quickness."

Hearing him mention his cousin created an echo in him and he began to ask himself more and more questions. He no longer doubted Eudoros and the messenger of gods were related, he now tried to find the exact degree of their kinship.

"Do you think that Eudoros would be a child of Zeus too?"

"No, I don't think so. Having heard of a number of them, I can assure you he looks nothing like him."

"What was he like? His looks, I mean."

"Rather ordinary. His brown hair had a few waves in it. Although his skin was particularly pale and his eyes too, almost dull."

The dubious master-of-arms wrinkled his eyes as he looked away. Knowing his circumspect nature, Zagreus waited patiently for him to organize his thoughts.

"Actually, I would even say they were Parma, almost purple. This goes back so far, I'm not sure. Ask Pat for his version, he can confirm this better than I can, I think."

"Okay, thank you for your time."

His curiosity increased, he said goodbye and returned to Hypnos who had finally finished his illustration. He couldn't help looking at it when he gave it to him. Very proudly, his friend explained every creature in the river, the boat on which Charon was standing and what seemed to be childish caricatures of Thanatos, Hypnos and himself. The perspective may not be great, but the emotional impact was vivid. Deeply touched, Zagreus smiled.

"Have you ever been on his boat?" he asked as he rolled up the scroll and slipped it into his exomis.

"Oh, Than and I were really small, but I remember one time we were on it and he was sailing. We were looking at the reflections on the water, it was quiet. I don't think we did it again, or I don't remember because I was sleeping, ahah!"

Not surprised at all, he made an amused breath with his nose.

"I would ask Than if he remembers."

"Good idea ! By the way, you tell me if he found his mortals before it gets messy. For now, the boss still hasn't noticed anything, but it's only a matter of time before he'll come across reports other than mine."

"A matter of time?" Zagreus repeated, the anguish tending him almost comically.

"I just manage the passages here, not the general entrances. I don't sign the reports."

"And how much time do we have before us?"

"Plenty if you keep him busy enough! He can't read the reports if he has to get up there fast."

He remained speechless in front of this obvious and surprisingly effective advice.

"You're a genius !" he blessed him before noisily kissing his cheek.

"I know, I know " Hypnos sighed with a smile, as a victim of his success.

"I'll give your illustration to Charon. See you soon !" the prince said to him as he ran away.

"We'll meet here again!"

Zagreus rushed to his courtyard and took a weapon quickly before jumping out of his window. If he just had to make as much mess as possible to keep his father busy, thanks to his long experience in this field he was more than capable of it.

He looted every chest, entered the most dangerous rooms to reduce them to dust, and made so much noise with his cannon that the whole of Tartarus and Asphodel trembled. On top of all, he had incorrectly stamped his contract of punishments, which even included a duplicate full of errors, so his father was going to waste a lot of time.

He arrived at the Elysium out of breath. Seeing the symbol of Hermes made him sigh with relief so deeply he belived he might be losing his lungs. Without further ado, he touched the luminous orb and distinctly heard his cousin's voice.

"Hey, hello, coz'! Here are some boons I can offer you. Sorry but with the research I'm doing, it's a little harder to focus."

"Oh, it's okay, I trully appreciate all of your efforts. Before you leave, may I ask you a question? It's a personal one, I admit it."

"I can spare you a moment, go ahead."

"Okay, uh... I'm not going to make up a story so here's the thing: I heard you mention Eudoros and Angelia on my last visit, so I was wondering who they were since you seemed to know them both."

The silence in response was so long he believes the connection has been lost, but by touching the surface of the orb he could refute this idea. Hermes remained silent for a long minute so the prince began to worry.

"Cousin?"

"Uh, yes, yes, I'm here" he answered quite evasively and almost frailly, "Listen, coz', I adore you, you know it, but I don't think I have to tell you about it, you know? I'm not the only one involved, I can't make this decision without consulting other people first."

"Oh, okay" Zagreus agreed, encouraged enough it's not a full rejection, "If ever you are allowed to, I'll be all ears."

"I tell you about it, okay ? Well, now, choose your blessing and be as fast as the wind !"

The anguish of Hermes veiled the joviality characterizing him so much, but the prince perceived it as a result of his concern for the two people mentioned earlier. His discretion, despite of the confidence and trust he had in him, proved to Zagreus the imperative not to divulge anything. The last time this happened, he learned awful things about his family history.

He chose a blessing and thanked his cousin before letting him go. Troubled, curious and beginning to worry, he strode forward in small steps into the next chamber. He repeated his carnage before reaching Charon's shop at the door of the Colosseum. Until now, mainly because he didn’t know how to deal with him yet, he had been dodging him and hoping to get answers from Hermes.

He didn’t bother to ask him the slightest question, he knew he was aware of everything at the very moment he met his wary gaze. Uncomfortable, but accepting to keep quiet, he moved on to the second part of his task. Seeing him rummaging through his clothes, the Chthonian god stared at him curiously, tilting his head a little. As soon as the scroll was stretched towards him, he got defensive and made a questioning sound as he looked at it.

"It’s from Hypnos, he wanted to make you a small illustration in memory of the good old times."

Charon relaxed and gladly took the message. He let his paddle rest against his shoulder and gently unrolled the parchment to discover the drawing. Zagreus smiled to see him tenderize himself in front of the smallest details, even more when he noticed he took the time to examine everything carefully.

" _Mmmghheaaarmmmaahh_...."

He knows it were sweet and fraternal words for Hypnos.

"I will tell him, mate, it will certainly please him."

He let him go back to his cadet's drawing and went to choose the things he wanted. After choosing a blessing and a batch gem, he counted his obols to give them to the seller. The ferryman examined them as he usually did, before, to Zagreus's great surprise, he gave back a few pieces.

"A discount, really? Thank you mate, it's really an honor!"

" _Ghaaaaaahhhh_..."

He smiled, said goodbye and goes to the Colosseum to face Theseus and Asterius once again. In a teasing mood, especially knowing the champion's strange attraction for him, he gave him a mocking smile. He whistled at the blond man to get his attention, and when he was totally focused on him, he spread his exomis to show the not-so-discreet hickey on his chest.

"Oops" he said, feigning innocence in an insolent attitude.

Offended, Theseus exclaimed and adopted the guards position.

"I'm going to kill you for this outrageous affront, demon !" he shouted in slightly cracked voice.

He burst out laughing before he pulled out his cannon. At the sight of him, Asterius became dejected and sighed deeply. He hated this weapon too destructive for him. Forced to fight, he joined the confrontation and ignored the sharp spikes of Theseus, who hardly took the trouble to hide his jealousy. Sometimes he threatened to tear off the marks of his skin, sometimes he promised to make another without specifying which ones, leaving room for misunderstandings more or less wished for.

After having defeated them, the prince took the ambrosia, continued his road and quickly reached his father. Without surprising him, Charon's little rebate didn’t come back, but he smiled to see under his sleeve a piece of the scroll slipped into his belt. He almost couldn’t have seen it under the many folds of the long dark robe, but the fabrics spread apart a little as the deity reached out his arm to receive his payment.

More serene and focused, he entered the last chamber and was welcomed by the anger of his father who was annoyed at the monstrous mess he has caused. There came the unfortunate moment when the wind flipped the cape suddenly covering Hades's face. Zagreus sucked in his lips to bite them and not laugh out loud, but his efforts couldn't suppress his smile.

"That's enough!" the king thundered as he threw off his cloak with hasty and almost clumsy gestures. On guard!

He entered the battle in hilarity. During it, he suddenly realized that if he won, his father would immediately return to the Great Hall to work. In order to gain as much time as possible, he dodged as much as he could and deliberately missed most of his shots. It' s not difficult to act as he was already struggling to fight his father with this unusual weapon.

Long minutes of fighting later, he perished and disappeared into the crimson waters before coming out of it, but this time in the main house. Hypnos startled on his arrival and swore several times that he was indeed awake despite being caught snoring on his orange couch.

" _Woaa_ , took you a while this time, it's unusual !" his friend exclaimed.

"You told me to save time, so I'm slowing down" Zagreus chuckled.

"But does that mean... you listened to my advice? _Wow_... _Woaa_!!"

"And it work very well, thank you Hypnos."

He ended his sentence with a kiss on his cheek.

"I gave your drawing to your brother. He really loved it and kept it with him all the time."

"Really ?" the deity said, radiating so much he could see flowers emanating from his aura, "What a night it was! I should make him another one sometime."

"I'm sure he'll be delighted. I'm going to go back to work and try to keep my father as busy as possible until Than's mortal business is settled."

"I'll let you know when you get back!"

He thanked him and ran across the room. He briefly greeted Megara and Nyx without looking at them and rushed to his balcony. His idea was to get back up as quickly as possible so his father didn’t have time to sit at his desk, or at least not too long. Hopefully, Thanatos's problem may be settled discreetly and no one would be summoned urgently by the thundering voice of the king of hell.


	4. Chapter 4

His plan, infallible from his perspective, was in fact particularly grueling and increasingly difficult to accomplish as he tried to make it work. While the first eight back and forth runs didn't surprise those around him too much, the twentieth began to raise suspicions.  
When he discovered Nyx and Persephone waiting for him at the edge of the Pool of Styx in the Great Hall, Zagreus knew they had understood everything. He didn't dare leave the bloodbath, the liquid reaching his chest.

"Zagreus, could you join us for a moment, please?" his mother smiled softly, her concern reflected in her expression.

Admitting defeat, he sighed long and obeyed. Nyx offered him a clean towel, which he grabbed after thanking her.

"You're going to a lot of trouble lately, my child" began the mother of the night, "Are you sure that everything is going according to your will?"

Her calm voice didn't let anything show, but the choice of words and the gentleness with how she looked at him proved she cared about him. Accustomed to her since childhood, he had no trouble detecting the affection she had for him that she didn't hesitate to show.

"Yes, it's all right. I'm just trying to be helpful."

"A very laudable intention, I concede, but your behavior could bring many eyes to the very subject of your concerns. Wouldn't it be better to delegate your burden?"

He didn't know if his way of talking was disarming to him because she had raised him or if it was simply due to his strong presence and natural authority. The point is, he found himself mute and unable to respond without it seeming suspicious. If he dared to lie, she would know immediately and he refused to disappoint her like that.

He had already committed this affront as a child and still remembered these few words after a long icy silence: ’ _You have deeply disappointed me, my child_ ’. A simple little phrase which had destroyed him. She had turned away and left him alone with his thoughts for a long time, until he came back to apologize and promise never to lie again.

Since then, finding a roundabout way by responding evasively through another truth has been his favorite method. However, Nyx knew it by heart and wouldn't lose the main subject. Neither would Persephone, thanks to the good advice of her best friend. He knew it: **he was trapped like a satyr.**

"I... I'm sorry, but I'm really doing a favor and I promised not to reveal anything..."

Mother Night raised her head slightly in a slow gesture that showed she was beginning to understand. Persephone put the back of her hand on her hip leaning on her leg on the same side and made a dubious pout.

"And couldn't this person come and tell us about it? Maybe we could help him too."

"I' m afraid, my queen, the subject is too intimate for our child."

Zagreus closed his eyes as hard as he could when he tensed up. He tried his best not to reveal anything, but this woman knew him all too well. It wasn't the first time she had caught him red-handed and it always involved the same accomplices.

If his mother seemed lost for a moment, she finally took a breath and widened her eyes. Then she looked at him.

" _Oh._ "

Uncomfortable, he continued to wipe himself slowly and distractedly. Why was he doing this when it wouldn't help him save time? He didn't know. A childish reflex, no doubt.

"I would offer my help in the darkness when the opportunity arose. Be not afraid, my child, I would reassure him about your loyalty towards him."

"Is there anything I could do?" asked Persephone, her eyes traveling between her son and his friend.

"The prince is obviously trying to occupy our king. I think we might add a few unwanted files to save the time he's looking for."

The queen smiled with the malicious look her son had inherited.

"Oh, of course, we have a ton of unprocessed files that my husband deeply abhors. I'll have them fetched immediately."

She kissed her son on the cheek before she left, her hand grasping the dark cloth to raise the front of her dress. Henceforth alone with the woman who had lovingly raised him, the young god felt even more ashamed.

"I'm sorry, I really can't say anything..."

"I understand, my child, and I appreciate your honesty and your faithfulness to him."

He smiled, reassured by these words.

"Take some time to rest, you've earned it."

"Yes, you're right, thank you, Nyx."

She sketched a discreet smile before turning around and flying gracefully over the ground. After she left, he breathed a deep sigh of relief as he looked around. The fear of not being able to get out of this impasse had petrified him, fortunately both mothers were equally understanding. He joined Hypnos to get the latest news. His friend was surprised and impressed by what he had just witnessed.

"You had two mothers for the price of one, how lucky! Mine doesn't take care of me anymore!"

"Don't tell me that like that, you know you hurt me" Zagreus whimpered.

"On second thought, they are like that only when you do crazy things, like now, so I don't really know if I envy you."

"Sometimes I don't know if you feel sorry for me or if you're just reassuring yourself."

"A little bit of both, I think! By the way, no news on the mortal side, but I have another drawing for Charon, do you mind?"

"No, not at all" his friend smiled, "I'll take a little break and bring it to him."

"I could free up my couch for you, if you want, after all you paid for it!"

"Thanks, but if I can't hug you, what's the point of sleeping next to you?"

" _Aaaw_ , you're really gonna have to say something to Thanatos if this keeps up!"

Zagreus laughed and went to place a noisy kiss on his cheek whom the divinity willingly offered him. He said goodbye and went to his room to wash his face. When he lay down on his bed, he promised himself only to stay for a few minutes before leaving to fulfill his promise, but he was surprised by his sleep. Was it Hypnos or simply his naturally accumulated fatigue, he couldn't know.

However, he was pleasantly awakened in the best possible way. He easily recognized the hand of Thanatos replacing his rebellious hair and opened his eyes. He was however surprised, because he wasn't used to being pulled out of his sleep, he blinked several times while taking a long breath. His lover blew from his nose and made an amused sound in his throat.

"It's not funny..." Zagreus grumbled with a sleepy voice.

"Depends on who, I guess."

"You're usually never there when I wake up. If you think it's so hilarious, just stay next time."

"I'd rather not answer that."

The personification of death leaned over to kiss him tenderly. The prince didn't hesitate to do the same and get up with him so as not to leave his lips. Once seated, he smiled broadly, his eyes closed and his forehead against his own.

"It’s been a while since something like this happened."

"Really?" Thanatos whispered, more rhetorically for the pleasure of hearing him say it.

"We were still kids, weren't we? We didn't even understand what had happened. And afterwards you avoided me like..."

Before ending the sentence with the word 'death', he threw his head back and burst out laughing. His companion smiled and slowly shook his head at his foolishness.

The event they were referring to was more than a thousand years old. Both of them, in the rough days of their early teens, were becoming aware of their bodies and the desires they were capable of experiencing. Sleeping in the same bed as they had done since childhood had taken on a special meaning due to the tension that had grown between them.

They had been always very attracted to each other, they held hands, hugged each other, Thanatos had already carried him to fly over the ground to have fun and even teleport with him... As they grew older, they ended up offering a place for curiosity and let the attraction bring them together in an experimental morning kiss. The gestures had been awkward, at first slow and shy before becoming too eager. Disturbed by everything he had felt, Thanatos had simply fled and avoided Zagreus to concentrate on his training as a reaper.

It had been a difficult time for both of them because they were innocently flirting with each other because of the attraction they felt, but they also rejected each other because of the kinship that was supposed to unite them but which they didn't feel. Somehow both of them knew they weren't related by blood. But being raised by the same mother had confused them. As a result, Zagreus had turned to Megara and, as he confessed today, he took it out on her. Their relationship had been unhealthy from the beginning to the end, so he was happy to have made peace with her and became a close friend of hers.

Notwithstanding the uneasiness and the unsaid, this tenderness and magnetic attraction they felt between them had lasted until they were reunited. Reading in the Achilles codex that this came from the fact that they were respectively the deities of death and life hardly surprised him. Actually, it all made sense. Thanatos himself liked to say ’Death and life, one and the same’ as a tender litany for their relationship. He couldn't deny at the time that he felt inexorably bound to him, but he had been afraid of the power of his unknown feelings.

Leaving without warning had been easier than facing a broken-hearted look. Yet Thanatos had found him, followed him and helped him. Zagreus will never thank him enough for this. He was so happy to be able to share these moments with him. While he only yearned to leave this place that he considered damned, he now wished to remain inside this room, huddled in the arms of death itself.

The prince kissed him again, caressing his cheek before letting him get out of bed. He accepted his armor-covered gloved hand to rise as well and followed him to the lounge. With his fingers still tangled with his own, they had a light meal for pleasure and a glass of nectar.

"I'm surprised you're taking so much time" Zagreus finally said, "I'm not going to complain about it, though. I'm just... well, surprised. I see you getting restless all the time because you say you're late."

"I've made the list even longer, I'm not that close now."

He laughed out loud when he found him so jaded about his situation. Nevertheless worried about these new lost mortals, he dared to question him a little.

"Wouldn't you better look after them? Follow one of them to see where they go?"

"I tried while you were driving the underworld crazy, but it didn't work out. All I got was the echoes of your calamities and you were so awful that your father himself summoned me to spend time with you."

Zagreus strangled himself with his drink and failed to spit it out completely. Dusa, who was passing by, offered him a small napkin before flying away again. He thanked her while she was leaving and wiped off what had dripped on his chin. Amused, Thanatos just watched him do it and, having learned to perceive these small discreet smiles, Zagreus glaring at him. He chose not to raise his mockery of him and returned to the main subject.

"What do you mean he ordered you to spend time with me?

"In his own way, he explained you were insuferable when we’re on being apart for too long because you missed me, so he put me under house arrest for a few hours."

Ashamed of this truth he hadn't wanted to show, he became redder than his clothes and hid in his glass.

"I guess his own relationship with the queen makes him more understanding about ours."

"I'd prefer to keep it private, though" he mumbled.

"Since everyone's heard your lovemaking, private isn't very relevant anymore, Zag."

Megara's stony voice startled him and his words finally colored his face red. Thanatos tried to save his face, but some redness colored his cheekbones as he turned away his embarrassed gaze. The fury grabbed the bottle and took a sip without even taking a glass. Stunned to see her drinking nectar in public, they stared at her.

"Bad night, okay?" she grumbled to cut off any questions.

Thanatos concentrated on his glass and Zagreus raised a hand in sign of self-defense and abdication.

"You've made quite a mess, you know?" his old flame grumbled, "So much so that I even heard Alecto admire your exploits.

" _Oh_..."

"Yes 'oh'."

"I'll be more careful, I promise."

"Oh, I'm not going to complain about it, it keeps my sisters busy. I'm wondering what you're trying to do, because you're not usually this diligent about your work. Not with all this distraction at your disposal."

She glanced at Thanatos for a few seconds to make it clear exactly what she meant by 'distraction' before returning to her friend. Zagreus didn't know what to say. He had been used to not lying since Nyx's argument, but also because he was such a bad liar it could be seen on his face even before he made a sound. Even so, he tried and straightened himself up by bulging his chest, a comically serious look on his face.

"I was working, that's all!"

Nothing was right, neither his attitude nor his unstable tone of voice. Thanatos and Megara painfully stared at him.

"Oh, Zag, don't ever try to lie again, it's a disaster" the fury deplored.

He sighed deeply and rolled his eyes.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you do this, what exactly is going on? What are you up to this time?"

"It's not for the sake of my father's realm or Olympus, so it doesn't concern you" he replied almost curtly, which surprised her.

She turned curiously to her childhood friend and saw him looking away. Without having to think too much, she made some logical connections and agreed to let it go for now.

"I see. When you're both ready, don't do any fooling around outside, I remind you some people are trying to work here."

She took one last sip of nectar before she left. The prince breathed a long sigh of relief after she left. His eyes fell to the table, and he finally noticed that neither he nor Thanatos had broken contact with their hand. Embarrassed, touched and amused, he sucked his lips up and didn't know which of these emotions to listen to first. With his lover talking again, he didn't have to make a decision.

"You don't have to cover for me, you know? I've made mistakes, and I should pay the price, not you."

"I may not work with you with mortals, but I may worry when a problem arises and act if I could. It doesn't bother me, and besides, I'm not risking much."  
He gently caressed his fingers from his own, his eyes in his own.

"You're not alone, Than, you can get help if you need it. If you don't want to believe that it's because we care and love you, think of it as just coordination between colleagues to get the job done."

Trapped, the Chthonian god looked away and his gaze wavered in the opposite direction of him. Even though they were now closer than they had ever been, Thanatos remained a loner and a hardened worker. He found it hard to rely on others because he wanted to live up to the tasks he had been assigned, to prove that he was worthy of them. Nyx herself had warned Zagreus about it, worried he would eventually get overwhelmed by his work. So he intended to take care of him and help him if necessary. Thanatos liked his work, so he didn't want him to be disgusted with his tasks because of the pressure he was unnecessarily putting on his shoulders.

He insisted on his proposal by placing his other hand around the hand he was caressing. Little by little, he saw his lover relax and slowly lower his barriers. The unexpected nod he received filled him with happiness and he smiled broadly before raising his hand to his lips to kiss it.

"Do you have to go to work?" Zagreus asked, "It's been a while, it must be ringing in your ears, isn't it?"

"Not when I'm with you. It's quiet."

His heart felt good in his chest at the agreement of these words. Even if he only answered frankly, the softness of his voice was enough to give a nameless romanticism to his words. He couldn't help it but smile broadly and let himself be swept away by his flavescent eyes. The intensity grew and became so dense that several shadows secretly glanced at them.

Thanatos let go of him and straightened himself up, almost sharply, before presenting the exit of the living room in a physical opening that invited him to follow him. Already charmed, his lover responded with a seductive attitude.

"In that case, may we talk, Prince."

He blew from the nose with amusement. To show some humor, the alcohol must began to rise to his head.

"Professionally, of course" he teased, squinting his eyes and nodding his head.

"Of course, for what other reason if not."

He stood up nonchalantly and walked quietly, passing as close to him as he could, his eyes clinging to his own. As if magnetized to him, Thanatos followed him to his chamber, where they stayed locked up for a long time. Once again, poor Orpheus had to demonstrate his vocal prowess in order to cover them.

The couple took their time and when the time came, the personification of death left. Satisfied, Zagreus got up and joined Hypnos to get the drawing he wanted to send to Charon. He was still scribbling when he approached him, so he started the conversation while he finished the last lines.

"Is my father busy enough for now?"

"Oh, yes, yes, yes! I've never seen him so overwhelmed with paperwork before!"

They turned to the giant desk to admire the high rows of files that continued to pile up. Hades grumbled about being tired of seeing the same cases come back, but his wife was able to encourage him to take matters into his own hands. Despite his volcanic temperament, the king calmed down and returned to his work, complaining that if his son had been good at something else besides war, he could have handled it. The prince refused to respond to the cutting remarks that made him cringe with a bitter smile.

"By the way" Hypnos began to say, "I was thinking of a fairly recent service Thanatos could contact for his mortal problem. Normally, they only refer those who have been to them, but with all the latest changes, who knows what happens now."

"Which one?" his very interested friend asked, "I could pass the word on to him the next time I see him."

"Look for Daimona in Tartarus, she's not far from the furies. Megara and her sisters must know her. She's a messenger, so she moves around a lot, and she's rather discreet."

"Daimona, Tartarus, furies, got it!" Zagreus nodded with a thumbs up, "Thank you Hypnos."

The god of sleep rolled up his drawing to give it to him and offered his cheek, eyes closed. His friend laughed and placed the usual kiss on the hairless skin before saying goodbye. He turned around and went to Tartarus. Every chamber he went through was chosen wisely until he found Sisyphus. As usual, the fallen king stood beside his rocky companion and gently greeted him.

"Hello, Prince Z, may I help you?"

"Tell me, you wouldn't know where I could find Daimona? I'm told she's not far from the Furies."

"The name is familiar, but I'm afraid I can't help you. Perhaps the three sisters might. Take the next two chambers on the right and you'll come across one of them."

"Oh, how do you know that? I thought the chambers changed all the time."

"I saw the workers pass by and my ears were hanging out, pardon my curiosity."

"It's all right, it suits me" Zagreus smiled, "Thank you very much, I'll go and see them right away."

"Before you leave, do you need anything?" Sisyphus asked, presenting the usual presents.

"The same as usual?"

The fallen king smiled and offered him the obols. The prince thanked him, waved goodbye to him and Pierrot, and then left on the double. The two chambers on the right he walked through led him to Charon's shop, and this time he didn't avoid him. The merchant was delighted to get another drawing from his brother and seemed almost surprised to see the prince leave without buying anything. His selfless act touched him nevertheless, and he blew soms sweet unintelligible words after his leaving.

For his part, Zagreus met Tisiphone and smiled when she said his name with motivation and challenge. But he raised his hand to stop her.

"I wasn't really planning to go any further, in fact I'm looking for Daimona."

Skeptical, Megara's little sister froze.

" _Murderer?..._ "

"Strange as it may seem, it's for work. I need her information about the shadows at her service."

" _Murder..._ "

The fury reflected briefly before moving to a specific corner of the big chamber. The Prince had not had time to see the back doors until now, because she quickly teleported them to a smaller and smaller chamber as they fought. She opened the passage and stepped aside to invite him to enter and remain in Tartarus.

" _Zaaghhtrier._ "

"Thank you, Tisiphone, I will come back to finish this meeting, I promise."

" _Murderer!_ "

He smiled and walked through the door. Luckily he hadn't bumped into Alecto, for sure, she would have been much less open and he might have been forced to fend for himself. The maze of unfamiliar corridors he walked through seemed to last an eternity, the pale green torches poorly illuminating the path. After a while, he came across several shadows renovating the place and others undergoing their eternal punishment. With renewed hope, he asked one of them where the person he was looking for was and got directions pointing the finger.

As he looked up, he discovered a female figure flying over the ground, her bony wings folded over her back. Her hair and the torn bands on the bottom of the long dark dress flew in an aquatic movement. He could have simply thought of her as a ghostly representation of some entity, but several details captured his attention.

While the top of her hair was ebony black, the underside shone with a warm yellow-orange color. The light they radiated enhanced the contrasts on his pale skinned body, but not gray as he was accustomed to seeing.

The old dress was simple, sleeveless and with a slight neckline. She also wore many gold jewels, thick bracelets on her wrists and biceps, claw rings, and a large choker decorated with several obols. Like Tisiphone, she looked young despite her emaciated appearance. Her eyes were sunken entirely yellow-orange, observing the slightest shadow she encountered.

A shoulder bag rested on her shoulder and the prince recognized several parchments and seals from the underworld. Reassured of having found the right person, he dared to approach. As soon as he reached his back, he felt a strange, almost warm feeling that gave him goose bumps.

"Miss Daimona?"

The woman froze, his hoarse breathing almost made him uncomfortable. Then she turned slowly towards him and looked at him. The first thing he noticed was how tall she was, measuring one head taller than he was, which impressed him even more. Slowly, she made incomprehensible sounds in a breath from beyond the grave.

" _Hrraahhnn..._ "

He frowned. Seeing how much she could look like Charon was stomach-churning and he suspected them of being siblings. However, the warm flashes of light under her hair and coloring her eyes didn't coincide. All of Nyx's children had grayish skin and pale yellow eyes, a reflection of the dark, quiet night. This entity, whose divine aura left no doubt as to her origins, almost had the hues of the sun on the surface.

Disturbed, it took him some time to shake off his confusion before he could speak again. Daimona didn't rush him and had waited patiently for him to talk, surely out of respect for his rank.

"I come to check if everything is okay and if there are no mortals missing in your services."

In graceful gestures, she opened a small pocket on the front of her bag and took out a gold plate which she presented to him. The prince took it cautiously, worried but too curious to resist. On the top, delicately engraved by hand, he could read her first name and her statue.

"Daimona, spirits of messages."

She nodded her head to greet him respectfully. At first, he thought Hypnos had been mistaken and she couldn't do anything for him, but he suddenly realized that there was no one more informed than a messenger. He thanked his friend for this ingenious idea and vowed to bring him a bottle of ambrosia. So he talked again, and although he hated to do so, he took advantage of his rank.

"As a prince, I order you to keep confidential the list that I’m going to ask you to check. You will give your answer to the god Thanatos."

" _Mmmgghaaah._ "

Accustomed to Charon, he recognized the approval and without further ado gave the non-exhaustive list of lost mortals. The messenger took it to examine it in detail for a long time, then she slipped it into her bag and gracefully greeted him with her head before turning her back. He observed her curiously, intrigued not to have heard of her or even crossed her path.

He turned around and went back to Tisiphone's chamber, and Tisiphone seemed surprised to see him again.

"I told you I'd come back, promise kept" he smiled.

Excited at the idea of resuming her work, Megara's youngest sister leapt up and turned around before uttering a few enthusiastic words.

" _Mmh murderer!_ "

He chuckled and brandished his sword to engage the fight. At the end of it, he didn't give up and continued on his way to Patroclus. Seeing Achilles at the side of the fallen warrior pleased him and he offered them a smile as he approached. The three of them exchanged a few small talk before the prince's eyes were drawn to the shadow of a fish nearby. He exclaimed and brandished his fishing rod so sharply that the couple couldn't help but laugh.

"By the way, lad" Achilles began to say, "Did you mention Eudoros to Pat?"

"Oh, no, it had completely slipped my mind!" his apprentice exclaimed as he realized, without took his eyes off his prey, "Tell me, Sir Patroclus, do you remember Eudoros?"

"Even if my memory fails me after drinking from the river of forgetfulness, I still have some memories intact" he agreed, "I assume Achilles has already told you a lot about our past.

"Indeed, I was wondering mostly what you remember about his appearance. It would be possible he was a demigod or even a full-fledged god."

"Oh, that would explain a lot" the warrior conceded, touching his beard distractedly and staring into space, "What do I remember about him? Pale skin and purple eyes. He never looked others in the eyes, just so that we wouldn't find out, I think."

"We ourselves noticed it many years later, although we were so close" Achilles agreed.

"I'm pretty sure he's here too, but I don't know where he is" Patroclus added.

"Oh, really?" Zagreus said, very interested, "Do you think he's with the champions?"

"I doubt it, lad" his master-at-arms replied, "Otherwise you would have already fought him by the time you tested the realm's security."

"I would try to investigate."

His line sank into the fog and he exclaimed while pulling the cane. With joy, he collected a Charp and kept it with him. The couple congratulated him for his catch, and then encouraged him for the rest of his journey. His item chosen, the prince left them.


	5. Chapter 5

Encountering Asterius in an isolated room almost made him happy and he wondered if he could afford to question him. Intrigued by his silence and attitude, the bull spoke.

"Don't you put yourself on guard position?"

"Well, actually... Do you know a man named Eudoros? Achilles, my master of arms, was one of his acquaintances, so I would like to meet him."

"Eudoros, huh? Yes, he's with us as a champion, but never fights against one-man teams."

"Oh, this explains why I’ve never met him" Zagreus realized, "would it be possible to see him?"

Asterius hesitated for a moment, then rested his axe on his shoulder.

"We can postpone our fight for a few minutes. Follow me."

Enthusiastic, the prince followed him into the next room. They entered the Colosseum and crossed many corridors. After a long walk, they made their way to the stands of a gigantic arena in which many opponents were fighting together against only one man. The battle was raging and the warrior was as fierce as he was swift. Zagreus let himself be caught by the enthusiasm of the crowd and watched him until, to his great surprise, he emerged victorious. Amazed, he exclaimed and congratulated him with the rest of the shadows. Hearing Asterius's amused nasal breathing brought him back to reality.

"Excuse me, do you think we could talk to him?"

"Maybe, if he's in the mood."

He invited him with a movement of his head and they went to the personal area of the Colosseum. The anguish rose to a new level in the prince who didn't know how to act in front of such a warrior. This man had been so gifted in battle that he had been Achilles' second and best friend, so a feeling of deep admiration for him naturally sprang up. Asterius stopped before a large arch and made an hand gesture for Zagreus to keep going without him.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked, surprised.

"He doesn't really appreciate King Theseus, and as his acolyte, it's best for both of us if our encounters are as limited as possible."

"Oh, I see. Thank you, I won't be long and we can pick up where we left off."

The bull nodded and let him go. The prince shook his arms a little, exhaling sharply to drive away his anxiety before taking a step forward. Several meters away, with his back to him, he saw Eudoros organizing his stuff. His long, pale brown, almost grayish ripples fell on his shoulders, his grayish skin lit by torchlight and he wore some gold jewelry such as bracelets on his wrists and those on his arms represented winged snakes.

Even from behind, Zagreus felt almost crushed by his strong presence. He was surprised to feel impressed and respectful, but not uncomfortable. After all the rumors about him, he expected to face a belligerent being who would point his spear in front of his nose at the first opportunity. But he didn't, the man simply spoke up, articulating rather badly in a soft yet dark and deep voice.

"I was expecting you to come."

He turned around to look at him with his lavender eyes, his irises glowing in the dark. His sculptural face was somewhat hollow-looking, but it had a familiar charm. Next, he noticed he was wearing two gold earrings dangling from his lobe.

" Really?"

"You know how to make people talk about you, my prince. Whether it is your exploits or your too great curiosity."

The last remark sounded almost like a warning and he felt like he was in a minefield. He then caught his eyes falling on his hands and did the same. On his wrists, glued to the decorative straps, Hermes' small, luminous wings glowed slightly to give him a faster attack speed. Eudoros froze, disturbed and hesitant. The opportunity to mention his cousin was offered to him, but Zagreus agreed to be patient and introduced himself less formally. After all, he had promised not to be too insistent about other people's business.

"I am Achilles' apprentice, he told me a lot about you so I wanted to meet you in person. It's an honor, sir."

Surprised, the warrior raised his eyes and stared at him.

"Is Achilles here?"

"At my father's house to be more specific, but he may come here from time to time to join Patroclus."

The evocation of his brothers in arms immediately softened Eudoros, who smiled quietly at him. Once again, the intrigued prince was surprised to recognize this familiar expression.

"I didn't think these rumors were true, it warms my heart to know they' re together. I was the one who mingled their ashes, I hoped it would keep them together even in death."

"It was complicated, but once the misunderstandings were cleared up, they were able to find each other again. They appreciated for the ashes, and I think I can thank you on their behalf."

He slowly nodded his head and continued to detail him from head to toe. Although perplexed by the Charp hanging from his belt, he fixed a precise spot on his exomis at the level of his chest.

"I can feel death on you..."

"Oh, it's a gift from a friend" Hades' son explained as he opened his garment to show the pierced butterfly.

As he put the cloth back in place, he couldn't help but briefly caressing the brooch through it in a much tender gesture than he thought. Eudoros blew an amused breath.

"A very good friend, I see."

Despite his embarrassment, his heart raced and stretched his mouth in a small, shy smile as he looked down. He rubbed his neck and he didn't know what else to say. The special atmosphere was serene, but he couldn't ask all the questions that insidiously burned his lips.

"I'm sorry I can't stay any longer, but I want you to know it was a pleasure! Oh, and your fight was incredible! I had never seen anyone so fast!"

" Thank you, my prince, it was a pleasure for me too" the smiling man replied, making a small curtsy, "I'll try to find Patroclus and Achilles sometime."

"I'm sure they will be delighted."

He said goodbye to him and left the room, even more disturbed and curious than before. Asterius stopped leaning against the wall and followed him back to the private arena. They began their fight as planned, but Zagreus had trouble getting back on his feet. He took several blows and, although he won, he dragged himself to the next arena in poor condition. Unsurprisingly, he was skewered by a Longspear and sent home by the river Styx.

As he left the pool, he sighed deeply. The entire Great Hall vibrated with Hades' exasperation over the pending files and the requests of the shadows. He grimaced as he noticed his bad mood and preferred to be as discreet as possible in order not to reap his wrath. When he arrived at Hypnos, he saw his mother greet him and show him her thumbs up. He laughed to see her so proud of what she had triggered in her husband. Without a doubt, he had inherited from her his ability to drive Hades crazy.

He informed his friend of Charon's reaction to his drawing and of his meeting with Daimona. Then he went to see the house contractor to see what work he could finance. He hesitated when he discovered the possibility of having the wall-scroll portrait of Hermes done. In the end, he ordered it and promised himself he would wait to receive it before leaving.  
He walked away but heard Hades call him. His voice sounded almost urgent and he was catching up as best he could with the many papers slipping from his desk due to lack of space.

" Boy, wait ! May I ask you to wait before you go back to work? I don't have time to stop you."

He was surprised to see him beg him to be quiet and almost wanted to disobey just to get him off his back. Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to rebel, but considering the situation, he accepted without resistance and returned to his apartments. Putting away his keepsake and Mort in the display case, he looked at the shattered shackles Sisyphus had given to him. He took them in his hands to examine them.

Damaged and with blade blows all over them, they seemed to have a long story to tell. Zagreus had never taken them with him to make his escapes. He preferred Megara's earring, Cerberus' collar, Nyx's black shawl or Thanatos' pierced butterfly, which he wore mainly. He sometimes wondered why they were broken.  
Lost in thought, he didn't hear his lover approaching and jumped when he spoke.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Blood and darkness!" he exclaimed sharply as he almost fell to the ground, "Than, you scared the death of me!"

"Where did you get that? Zag, I'm not joking."

He wanted to reply about his usual lack of humor but his lover had a very serious look on his face and his eyes glowed with an anger he had rarely seen in him. Although intrigued, he answered frankly.

"It was Sisyphus who offered them to me to give me a hand in my escapes. Have you ever seen these before?"

"Too much" he cursed, crossing his arms and stepping back a little, "That's how he fooled me and ran away while he was alive."

"Wait, you are telling me he..."

"Yes, he chained me up! If Ares hadn't come under the order of Zeus I would have crouched in the bottom of his cellar for eternity."

Zagreus formed a very fine circle with his lips as he finally understood the depth of the resentment he bore for the fallen king. Compassionate, he rested the shackles and closed the display case in order to remove them from his sight. Thanatos relaxed, but continued to stare at the shelves.

"I can't believe he had the nerve to give those to you!"

"Maybe he was more interested in getting rid of them. He really blames himself for his past, you know? He's not proud of it and he still regrets what he did to you."

"I hope it torments him till the dawn of time!"

The prince approached gently to come and caress his arms in order to soothe him. His companion jerked and moved backwards, but he let him do it anyway. The caresses and kisses he received managed to calm his anger down and he finally let Zagreus unclasp his arms.

"It was a long time ago, we don't need to talk about it again" he grumbled.

"I didn't say anything" Hades' son laughed, "You only talk about it if you want to."

"You say that now, but I know you, you're bound to come back to it eventually and to find out how it happened."

"I'm not going to hide the fact I'm curious, but if you really don't want to, I'm not going to force you."

And he quickly kissed him. As Thanatos remained upright and cold, he placed more kisses on his frozen lips, not without some enjoyment. Not far from them, Skelly finally cleared his twangy voice.

"I'm not paid enough to watch that, but I'm paid enough to get one in the jaw, boyo!"

The prince laughed and his companion sighed deeply in annoyance. Thanatos took his wrist and brought them to the bedroom. They sat on the blue couch by the large bookcase before the reaper at last set off with a heavy heart.

"It was my solo debut, I had just finished my training, I had just learned about you and Meg becoming more intimate... I wasn't in the mood and Sisyphus took advantage of this lack of vigilance and experience. When he asked me to tidy up some of his stuff for his descendants, I agreed to wait a little and that's when he pulled out those shackles. I immediately realized they were magic and that I would never be able to get out of his cellar by myself. If Zeus hadn't figured out that nobody was dying anymore, I would still be stuck down there."

"Nyx or Hypnos, or even my father, would have spotted it, right?"

"The underworld still had a lot of problems. You may not remember it, but the administration was disastrous and noticing there were missing dead people was almost impossible. And I doubt you would have seen I was missing back then."

Zagreus couldn’t deny it, his affair with Megara had considerably occupied his mind and he didn't expect Thanatos to come back so they could talk to each other. The mere thought he might never see him again and know what had happened made him sad. The guilt crushing his heart, he went to kiss his beloved companion.

"I'm sorry."

"You’re not the one who locked me up, Zag."

"I was such a big jerk, I should have understood more, why you left and realized you were gone. The only thing I knew when you came back was that Sisyphus man had foiled death, but I hadn't noticed a thing. I just figured it was normal, because you were working far away."

He put his forehead against his shoulder and sighed.

"I'm sorry..."

Lacking an answer, Thanatos just hugged him. They had hurt each other at that time, and now they couldn't go back. Nevertheless, these apologies pleased him and eased his past torments a little.

"My father put me under house arrest too" Zagreus laughed, making Thanatos a funny smile, "We're trying to save some time for you, but now he' s so overwhelmed. I've never seen him like that before."

"Yes, I know you've been asking a lot of people for help. Mother Nyx contacted me and explained everything."

Thanatos let his lover get up to meet his gaze and smiled softly at him.

"Thank you."

Zagreus felt his heart beating so hard, he feared it would burst out of his chest. He couldn't resist jumping on his lover's lips and laid him down on the couch to sit on his hips.

After sex, he enjoyed having some aftercares and lazing around in bed. When he noticed the curious look of the Chthonian god on his lyre, he smiled and stood up to grab it. Once he sat on the bed again, he placed the musical instrument correctly on his thighs. If Thanatos had a little mocking smile on his lips, he lost it as soon as he made his first chords. The accuracy of his melody and its delicacy surprised him, leaving him speechless and fascinated.  
A long moment passed by, they didn't try to check any sundial, while the hand of death became more and more affectionate. Zagreus smiled as he felt his fingers travel against his skin and continued playing for a few more minutes. When he finally became bored, he turned to his lover who smiled at him. The lyre was put down, a kiss was given, and a new embrace was initiated without them having to consult each other.

Lying on his back, Thanatos kept his lover in his arms as they used to do. He felt him draw random shapes on his chest, his eyes in space. It wasn't the first time of the evening he had caught him being somewhere else.

"Is everything all right?"

"I've met two people I'm a little intrigued by..."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when I told you about Eudoros and Angelia? It so happens that Achilles told me about an Eudoros and he's currently at the Elysium.

"Zagreus, I told you to stay out of that!"

"Technically, I was just meeting a friend of my master-at-arms" his lover defended himself while straightening his head to press his chin against his chest, "And that's how I introduced myself! He was fighting against a lot of shadows and he was so fast, if you had seen this..."

His gaze was again lost in space and his head turned slightly so the lower part of his cheek was now pressed against the grayish skin.

"So fast..."

"Why are you curious about him?"

"Well... His appearance is familiar to me, but I'm not sure."

"You may have run into him one day and not remember."

"That's what I'm looking for, but I think I would remember if I did. He's the kind of person who has a very strong presence, kinda like..."

"Like?"

"Like Nyx, in some way."

"I'm sure I don't have a brother named Eudoros. It's not the kind of name my mother gives."

"Yes, I told myself the same thing. She's already told us a lot about all her children, so if he had been one of them we would know. But still... If you saw him, you'd get it!"

"Leave him where he is, you don't know what you're getting into. The last time you started this kind of plan you brought back the possibility of war between Olympus and the underworld."

Unable to contradict him, Zagreus pouted. Thanatos took his silence as an abdication and let his head fall back on the pillow.

"Oh, by the way, Hypnos gave me some information about a service that could help you with your problem. I've already been there and contacted someone called Daimona. Does that name ring a bell?"

"Not really. Why ? Should it?"

"She showed me her badge, she's a messenger, so I assumed you two had worked together before."

"No, I've never seen her."

"Well, it won't be long, then, because I asked her to see you when she gets some answers about your list. As a messenger she is bound by confidentiality."

Thanatos said nothing, but the delicate caress on his shoulder conveyed his silent thanks.

"When you see her, tell me if you don't recognize her, she too was something familiar and at the same time unfamiliar."

"It can't be familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, Zag."

"You'll understand when you see her!"

He drew a long sigh, both annoyed and exhausted from trying to fight him. They stayed together for a while before Thanatos decided to leave for work. Zagreus would have liked to spend the rest of his leave with him, but he was reasonable and occupied his mind in a different way.

The time passed slowly and the prince didn't know what to do to stop his boredom without disturbing anyone. Luckily, the house contractor brought him the painting of his cousin he had asked for. He unrolled the scroll on his desk and studied it carefully. After a long minute, he nodded his head and admitted the portrait was accurate.

The earrings on his lobes reminded him of those worn by Eudoros and he wondered if it was a fashion he hadn't been paying attention to. He became more and more curious and thought about it for a long time as he watched his running cousin's smiling face.

He tried to make assumptions by linking logical facts, but little by little, and especially as the nights grew longer, they became far-fetched. Annoyed to be going around in circles without having an answer, he left in a hurry to join Hypnos. If he was going to go crazy, he might as well do it on his friend's couch to distract himself. What was his surprise to see Thanatos already standing in front of his twin. Just by his body language, Zagreus guessed his shock and restlessness. The anxiety gripped him in the gut and he accelerated his pace with a frown.

"I really need you to answer, Hypnos!" the impatient god of death exclaimed.

"But I don't know and I can't guess it either!" his brother whimpered.

"Hey, what's going on?" the prince intervened, putting a hand on his lover's shoulder to calm him down a little.

"I saw Daimona, the one you told me about the other night."

"Did something happen with your mortals?"

"No, she didn't have anything either, but that's not why I'm here. I saw her, Zagreus. There's something about her that is familiar, and the one who sent you there is Hypnos, so again, Hypnos: who is she?"

"And as I told you before, I don't know!" the god of sleep defended himself, hands up, "I only know her by name because she appears on certain reports as a messenger, that's all. I can't even say we have a professional relationship since she might not know that I exist."

"What a pity" Zagreus sighed dramatically.

"I know, I know" his friend agreed, which made him chuckle.

"This is no time for jokes!" Thanatos grumbled, "I have to go, but when I come back, I want answers!"

With that, he disappeared in a green glow. His icy attitude astonished both his twin and his boyfriend.

" _Woaa_ , I haven't seen him like that since you guys broke up before his training!"

"What?" the prince exclaimed, narrowly failing to choke on his saliva, "But we never broke up! We weren't even together!"

"Really? Oh, I thought you were!"

He hit his forehead with his palm, eyes closed, before letting it slide down his face. Sweeping away his friend' shopeless reaction with a backhand, he changed the subject.

"Have you really never seen Daimona?"

"No, not once. In fact, I hardly see anyone since my workplace is here. If you don't die, I don't see you."

He nodded his head, hands on his hips and eyes in space.

"Why? Should I? Than looked super pissed that I don't. This Daimona's such a star!"

"It's mostly because of her peculiarities, we wonder where she comes from."

He gave him a brief oral portrait of what he remembered and Hypnos finally understood the reason for his brother's panic.

"Ooh, she reminded him of Charon?

"It did to me, but a sunny Charon, you know?"

"Weird, but I got the idea."

"Wouldn't Nyx have had a daughter without telling us about it? After all, it would be her private life. She has every right not to disclose."

"There's only one way to find out!"

He made his list and his pen disappear before grab his wrist and flying through the room. Zagreus worried about his father noticing them and sternly lectured his friend, but he barely saw him behind the huge piles of files. Reassured he was busy enough, he couldn't resist the attraction and ran along with it.

They went to where the mother of the night usually stood and smiled at seeing her present. The deity looked at them with a quiet gaze, although she seemed surprised to see her son approaching.

"Hypnos, shouldn't you hold your post? I seem to have asked you to prove yourself as an independent god."

"Yes, yes, and I'll go back right after one tiny little question!" her child promised, "Say, would Than and I have any other brothers and sisters we wouldn't know about?"

Unbelieving, Nyx slowly blinked his eyes, turning his head completely towards him.

"You know all your siblings, I wanted our family to be as open as possible."

With these words, she looked at Zagreus who smiled gently at her. He knew that she had kept a secret for his own safety and didn't blame her for it.

"So, Daimona doesn't ring a bell?" asked Hypnos again.

"The name is familiar to me, but I'm afraid I've never seen that shadow before."

"It's not a shadow" the prince said, "Actually, I've seen her so I can affirm she's a goddess, but..."

He didn't know how to express himself, his emotions running wild and all his questions pouring into his mind. The mother figure gently put her hand on his shoulder to soothe his heart. When she felt him relax, she removed it and repositioned herself as usual.

" I may not be able to see the identity of this deity. Even for you, some places are inaccessible to me."

"Just in case, I'm in the next room" Hypnos whispered innocently.

"I know, I can see you."

" _Anw,_ Mom... I mean, mother!"

Zagreus snort, amused by their exchanges that touched his friend but seemed discouraged Nyx. The mother of the night took up the main subject again.

"Why so much interest in her?"

"Well" her best friend's son began to say, a little hesitantly, "She would have something like Charon, a little bit. It was only my impression, but Thanatos had just seen her and he seemed shaken."

"I sensed his shock. I am grateful to you for coming to tell me about it, I am afraid that Thanatos doesn't come to tell me about his torments on his own. Tell me, what do you mean by ' _like Charon_ '?"

"The same presence, the same way of expressing herself too. She was like him in some way."

"Very strange indeed. I will see what I can do, but the mystery may have to remain complete. Is that understood?"

He lowered his eyes as he pressed his lips together.

"Yes, understood."

"Well, I'll leave you then. I've enjoyed talking to you both a little."

She allowed herself to caress the cheek of Hypnos before disappearing. The god of sleep melted under the maternal tenderness he hadn't had for a long time and didn't regret a second of that moment.

"What are you going to do?" the deity asked, correctly replacing his night mask on his head.

"Waiting for answers" his friend replied, "I'm going out for a bit, I'm tired of going around in circles. I'll take my time."

"I'll be here when you get back!"

He said goodbye and walked to his courtyard.


	6. Chapter 6

With his head full of questions, he dragged himself from chamber to chamber until he reached the field of the fallen warrior in the Elysium. As he passed the gates of the entrance, he saw Patroclus and Achilles exchanging kisses, sitting side by side. He blushed and wondered if he might interrupt an intimate moment. But the two men were just kissing and smiling, which touched the prince.

He had already seen Achilles smile, even laugh, but never as he did with Patroclus. Love possessed incredible power, he had no doubt about it, but he was always surprised by its influence on his master-of-arms. He couldn't deny that his grief had deeply affected him and pushed him to reunite these two soul mates. Admiring them together, happy, behaving like two teenagers in love, soothed his heart.

Peacefully, he finally approached them. Patroclus noticed him first and stopped Achilles who was gently kissing his cheek.

"Let's see, a stranger crosses our path" he said, a bit of friendly teasing in his calm voice.

"Didn't your father ask you to stay home?" the blond man asked as he got up with his companion.

"That was days or nights ago, now I'm bored. I'm not making too many waves, I'm just walking around, it gives him time to get up here" Zagreus replied, "Well, if you think like someone who really wants to escape, isn't it the best time to do so?"

"It's true" he smiled, amused.

"We heard that a mutual friend was here too" Patroclus began to say, " Apparently a stranger has come to inform him of our presence."

"Oh, what a coincidence" Zagreus replied to his knowing smile, "Do you know when we would have the pleasure of his company?"

"Soon, we hope" Achilles informed him.

"By the way, I was wondering, if Eudoros is indeed a god, how come he stayed at the Elysium like an ordinary shadow?"

"I don't know, lad. We could ask him when he' s with us."

To pass the time, Zagreus took some news from them and listened to them tell some anecdotes about their married life. The old habits they had sometimes made him laugh and smile. Even though he knew that the daily life of mortals was quite different from his own, hearing these stories still amazed him. Unlike them, he never had to worry about getting sick, filling the pantry or doing the dishes.

He was surprised to imagine this kind of scene with Thanatos and himself. Sharing a small house like his mother's on the surface was not such an unpleasant idea. They could work in the garden to grow their vegetables, take care of their animals, chop wood... In the evening they would sit in front of a fireplace with a meal they had prepared together. In a soothing silence, huddled together, they would watch the flames dance gracefully. A quiet lifestyle, maybe even a little too quiet. At how harassing some nights might seem to him and his family exhausted him, he loved to ransack his father's realm and run around. Just as he knew Thanatos loved his work, however gloomy and morbid it might be.

Taking him out of his thoughts, someone approached them. When they turned to them, he discovered Eudoros smiling at them. Immediately, lavender eyes fell on the Lambent plume that Zagreus wore on his belt. He slowed down a little and stared at it intensely. As soon as he got close to him, the warrior couldn't help touching it with his fingertips. Somewhat surprised by his familiar behavior, Patroclus and Achilles exchanged a quick questioning glance.

"Where did you get that, kid?" he asked, still articulating as badly as ever.

"A friend gave it to me" the prince replied, too confused to be on the defensive.

"A friend..."

He looked into Zagreus’ eyes, when he realized exactly who he was.

"But then you are Zagreus, the cousin."

The prince frowned and suddenly closed in on himself, taking a step backwards. Few people knew the members of his family, and even fewer had contacted any of them. As the mysteries became too deep, he decided to ask the important questions.

"Who exactly are you? How do you know Hermes?"

Eudoros stared at him with a mischievous smile, amused at knowing secrets he didn't know. He turned his head a little, without letting go of his eyes, and used a familiar expression. Thus, he presented the earrings hanging from his left lobe. Zagreus thought quickly, putting in place every piece of information he could get. Little by little, as his gaze traveled over his entire body, the logical connections became linked with each other.

His eyes grew larger and larger when he finally understood and he found himself mute. Patroclus, who had been relaxed until then, stiffened. His surprised former brothers-in-arms questioned him with their eyes. Achilles gently caressed his shoulder.

"What is it, Pat?"

"Can't you feel it? The air has gotten warmer..."

Both surprised, the instructor and his student focused on what they sensed to verify what he was saying. Surprisingly, a soft warmth invaded the place with a watery fragrance, like a warm mist in the depths of the night. They barely had time to exchange intrigued glances when a dark cloud of purple glow formed from the ground. Everything around them became darker and the mass grew until a woman could gracefully emerge from it.

Eudoros softened when he saw her, drawing even more attention to himself. As the messenger approached, flying over the ground, he spoke.

"Angelia, what are you doing here?"

The shock shaken the prince as he was staring at them in turn. Dumbfounded, he finally realized why Hermes didn't want to talk about them, why he seemed so close to Charon, why he had helped him so much, and why they were hiding from the other gods.

Angelia, Daimona by her official name, immediately noticed the plume in the prince's possession and also came to touch it with her fingers. Like Eudoros, the colors of the plume became more vivid when she touched it. Zagreus didn't react, still overly shocked and paler than ever.

The couple left behind naturally didn't have the information he had, so they found themselves lost in a strange atmosphere full of tension. Patroclus was the first to dare to speak up.

"Could you introduce us, my friend?" he asked to Eudoros.

"Yes, of course. Patroclus, Achilles, this is Angelia, my little sister."

Unpleasantly surprised by his nonchalance, the messenger glared at him.

" _Hrrraaaah_!"

"It's all right, Angel, they're trusted friends. It is the famous Zagreus father has been telling us about. To think that he always mentioned the prince to us as if he were another person, do you believe that?" he chuckled.

She relaxed as she looked at the man concerned.

" _Mmrrrrhh..._ "

"Yes, exactly" Eudoros smiled, "So everything is fine."

Now their origins were clear, Zagreus found it obvious that this smile, this expression, were the same as Hermes'. He felt like an idiot not to have understood anything until now.  
Achilles observed the brothers and sisters, not without astonishment, before speaking too.

"You never told us you had a sister before..."

"When we met, I was still an only child" replied Eudoros, "Our family is a bit complicated so father advised us not to say anything. Dad agreed with him on this point. If you're really interested, I think Angelia is the same age as the prince."

He made a mental timeline with what he knew about the childhood of Hypnos and Thanatos. If he properly understood, the twins were still young when Angelia was born and he himself was a newborn baby being resurrected by Nyx. All of this coincided with Charon's distancing from his younger brothers although he used to babysit them from time to time. Their mother hadn’t taken this distance badly, even forbade her children to look for their eldest until he came to them. Either the mother of the night had just respected her choices, or she knew about it and hid her grandchildren to protect them just as Hades had done for him.

For the time being, the tensions between the underworld and Olympus were too dense for the offspring born of these two diametrically opposed worlds to freely expose themselves. If at the beginning of his attempts, Zagreus didn't know the extent of this, he was now aware of it. Anxiety and remorse overcame him while he was wondering for himself if it wasn't already too late. He tried to reassure himself by remembering he hadn't questioned anyone but Achilles, Nyx and Thanatos about this topic. None of the three of them, let alone Hypnos, would divulge any information. Still, his emotions persisted.

Angelia resumed her professional visit and delivered the message she was in charge of. Achilles was stunned to receive the scroll and the general attention. The warrior unrolled the small paper to read it silently and stood up when he had finished it.

"Oh, it's your father asking for me" he said to his student, "He uses Daimona to communicate discreetly and not to reveal that my contract is no longer tacit. To keep up appearances, see?"

Like an automaton, his face still twisted by the shock, Zagreus nodded.

" Unfortunately, I'll have to go. My brother, it was good to see you again" he said with a smile to Eudoros.

"It's mutual."

They shook hands and pulled each other in a quick embrace that Achilles had also taught his student.

"I leave you the good care of Pat, don't be too hard on him" the master-at-arms teased.

"I'll try" his second in command joked.

Achilles patted Zagreus's shoulder, kissed his husband and teleported. Patroclus looked at the still petrified prince and decided to shake him a little to help.

"Don't you have a quest to fulfill, stranger?"

"Ah, uh, yes! Yes, I do... Yes..."

Zagreus lowered his eyes and pointed to one of the doors in his index finger before following that direction. His behavior amused the other three who looked at him until he left. Finally alone, panic overwhelmed him and he began to scream in full realization of what he had discovered. As he grabbed his hair with his hands, he thought fast and wondered what was right or wrong to do. His eyes wandered and miraculously fell on a very unique boat.

"By the gods" he sighed with relief.

He trotted to the shop to meet Charon. Just when he wanted to speak, he found himself mute. The questions burned his lips, but he couldn't help picturing him with Hermes. Even though their relationship was quite obvious, the surprise was still there.

" _Mmrrhhnng_?"

Hearing his friend's questioning, he shook his head to pull himself together.

"I'm sorry, I... I need to ask you about something specific. Hermes and you."

The boatman tensed up and his bony features hardened. A hoarse, vibrating and threatening sound made him understand the caution. His stomach turned and he almost thought he was going to wet his pants so much he was frightened. He hurriedly raised his trembling hands as a sign of peace and to implore him to calm down.

"I know, I know, but I met Eudoros and Angelia..."

Charon fell silent and he saw his hands shaking slightly on the handle of his paddle. Zagreus was surprised to discover him so worried and uncertain. Since he was a child, he was used to see him as a self-confident, impressive and powerful man. He was the personified representation of calm and serenity in his eyes. Discovering this facet almost hurt him and encouraged him even more to have his family make peace.

"Achilles knows Eudoros and I know he won't say anything. The only ones to be aware of their existence are Nyx and your brothers. Thanatos met Angelia, who calls herself Daimona. He was very surprised, even shocked. He didn't seem to know about them, and neither did Hypnos..."

Charon looked away and hesitated. For a long minute, his morbid breathing, which his daughter had inherited, was the only audible sound. Then his eyes fell on the plume at the prince's waist and he softened.

" _Mrrhhrreehh..._ "

This softer sound was the result of surrender. He opened the pouch at his belt and pulled out a plume almost identical to his own. Curious, his friend looked at him holding it out and blew on it as it gently flew over his palm. The purple mist surrounded the object which brightened more and more like the message orbs that Zagreus could find on his way.

The light intensified and became blinding, so much so the prince had to raise his hand to protect his eyes with a wince. When the light diminished until it disappeared, he found Hermes hovering next to his associate. His surprised and confused cousin looked at them in turn.

"Did I miss something?"

Charon uttered several unintelligible words of his own and his partner carefully listened. When he had finished, the messenger lowered his eyes and anguish glowed in his dark eyes. It was the first time Zagreus had not seen him smile.

"Oh, I see. It's time, then."

" _Mmmrrrhh._ "

"Coz" he began to say as he looked at him, "until our families are peaceful, you have to keep this to yourself, okay?"

"Yes, of course, I figured as much" the prince conceded, nodding, "In fact, I was wondering if Charon's brothers may know about it. Thanatos met Daimona, well Angelia, in a professional context and he was really surprised."

Hermes turned his head to catch Charon's gaze, who leaned his and emitted a breath of approval.

"If it's okay for him, it's okay for me too" the god of swift smiled, swaggering again as usual.

"Hypnos will be happy to learn that he' s an uncle" Zagreus said, "Than might be a little surprised, but he should get used to it.

" _Hhrraaaahh kkhaaah!_ "

The breath was light and playful.

"I couldn't have said it better, mate!"

"Wow, it's been so long, it's weird" Hermes admitted in a comical attitude as he felt lighter.

"I was told that Angelia and I are the same age, but Eudoros is older, isn't it?"

"Yes, Eudoros..."

The two deities shared a look and smiled at each other. Zagreus felt touched to see them tender in his presence.

"He was almost in his teens when the twins were born. I took more care of him so Charon would spend time with them. Once they grew up, we wanted to have another child and... _poof_ Angelia was one of us. As she took after him more, she stayed in the underworld and I visited her as much as I could."

"That's why Eudoros was on the surface with Achilles" the prince soliloquized when he finally realized.

"I watched over him and passed on his father's good feelings!"

Charon emitted a soft sound, approving his words and also seemed to thank him for his efforts. Zagreus smiled softly.

"Why did you keep this a secret from Hypnos and Thanatos? They wouldn't have said anything, though."

The ferryman looked disillusioned as he laid eyes on him.

"Oh, yes, Hypnos..."

" _Mhheeeeh.._."

"He made an effort, you know? My mother, Persephone, is at home and he hasn't said anything yet!"

" _Hrooohhhhn_ " he said, surprised.

After a moment of reflection, Charon nodded his head. His clear and precise authorization reassured the prince about his forthcoming actions and he smiled even more.

"I would make sure that the secret is well kept as long as you don't decide yourself to reveal it."

"Thank you, coz'! I know that you understand the situation perfectly, you yourself are paying the price" Hermes thanked him, taking a lean on his lover's shoulder, "In the meantime, officially we are only professional associates on good terms, he is making the souls across the river and I am leading them to him to do so!"

He laughs at this explanation he had already heard so many times when he hadn't asked the slightest question. He couldn't help wondering if, in all his natural perfidy, Hermes hadn't deliberately teased his curiosity in order to unblock the situation. Perhaps seeing him working for peace between Olympus and the underworld gave him hope of fully living his family life.

"I'm going to go and continue my escape, as my work demands" the prince said, "I'll leave you to your _’business meeting’_."

"We have a lot of work ahead of us" Hermes nodded vigorously, the feathers on his head bouncing as he did, making the gesture more comical than it already was.

Zagreus chuckled, said goodbye them with his hand and resumed his journey. With a light heart he fought valiantly and reached the entrance to the underworld. His father wasn’t there, unsurprisingly, so he decided to wait for him by fishing a little.

After a few hours, while the cold biting his skin and making him jump on the spot to warm up, a green glow lit up the place for a brief moment. He turned around as he was surprised.

"Than?"

His fishing line sank into the water before he could react. He jumped when he pulled the rod but the fish had sped away.

"Darkness..."

"So this is your job? To wreck the realm and fish?" Thanatos said as he approached him.

" Broadly speaking" his lover smiled with nameless insolence before making his fishing rod disappear, "What are you doing here?"

"Your father sent me to pick you up, he's too busy to come."

Strangely pale, he took a break before resuming.

"And Cerberus brought the bag of vermin back to the Great Hall, so it's a real mess."

"Oh no, poor Dusa had to clean it all up?"

"She can't. No one can get close without getting eaten."

"What about my mother?"

"I don't know what happened, but she was in the garden and judging by her posture, she wasn't in the mood to help your father."

"Blood and darkness" Zagreus cursed as he rubbed his neck, "Well, well, how's it going then? Are you going to reap me or something?"

Thanatos smiled and chuckled, hearing him suddenly pounced his heart into his chest. The loud pulsation resonated throughout his body, but he restrained himself to focus on the urgency of the situation.

"No, you're not dead. I'm just going to carry you around like when we were kids."

"Except that today you have more strength" his lover laughed as he approached him.

"And for whom do you think I muscled myself?"

As he wrapped his arms around his neck, Zagreus froze and stared at him, losing his smile. Thanatos' smile went up one side, mocking and charming. Already sensitive, and now softened by the confession, he passionately kissed him. As soon as their mouths met, death lifted him off the ground and they disappeared in a pale green glow.

The prince regained forgotten sensations and laughed out loud as they reached the balcony of the West Hall. Immediately, he heard his father and the shadows struggling with roaring Cerberus.

"Oh, this is serious" he exclaimed, still clinging to Thanatos in the air.

Slowly, his lover put him down on the ground. Before leaving, Zagreus pulled him by the hand.

"You and Hypnos go to my room, I have something to tell you both."

"What?"

"I have the answers you were looking for the other night."

Realizing what he was getting at, the young man's expression relaxed.

"Well then, we'll be there."

Zagreus smiled at him, then he let him go to help his father. Cerberus was particularly surly about the idea of letting go of the empty Satyr's bag he was licking from one of his heads. He ran into the lounge to see Megara and begged her to accompany him. Although annoyed, she agreed and climbed with him to the desk of the king of hell.

She knew what her friend had in mind because they already played like this with the dog as children. She sent little energy balls to skim the ground so it crossed the long corridor leading to the pool of the Styx. Cerberus rose abruptly, very attentively, and observed the spun lights. He trembling due to the resistance, but the urge to run became too strong. After a hunting bark, he began to chase the lights and try to eat them. For a brief moment, he became a puppy again, ungainly jumping on anything that moved near to him.

The shadows took advantage of the diversion to clean the place as quickly as possible. Dusa even brought back treats to chew on to keep him busy when he returned. When they finished, Megara stopped and made an almost disdainful sound, but Zagreus knew that playing like this as in their childhood had amused her. He let her discreetly hide her emotions and thanked her for her help.

Hades breathed a deep sigh as he massaged his head and then walked around his desk. Surprised, his son questioned him as he was about to go to the floor.

"Where are you going?"

"I need a break. I'll be in my room..."

Zagreus never expected to think so one day, but this time he really felt sorry for his father. The poor man was overwhelmed by the files and nerves from the administrative errors that were piling up. This had undoubtedly been the cause of an argument between his parents and the reason why Persephone was now isolated in the gardens.

He left that story aside for the moment and went to his room. As expected, the twins were present, Thanatos standing with his arms folded and Hypnos lying on his bed.

"We' re listening to you, Zag" the personification of death said at the outset.

"I'm warning you, it's going to be a shock" Zagreus cautioned, "Maybe you should sit down."

"Don’t worry, I'll catch him" Hypnos said, raising his hand, which earned him a slap on it from his brother, "Ouch!"

" Well, here we go : you have nephews !" he announced in an open stance to congratulate them, but with a tense smile because he was afraid of their reaction.

Hypnos straightened up with a leap, eyes as round as those of Thanatos whose face was falling from second to second.

"We have _what_ ?" they said in one voice, one more joyfully than the other.

"Daimona is in fact called Angelia. She and Eudoros, which is at the Elysium, are Hermes' and Charon's children..."

Thanatos let his scythe slip from his hands and fell to the ground in a metallic sound as his jaw unhooked. Hypnos remained forbidden before smiling and flying quickly to Zagreus.

"Really? _Woaaa_! But we must meet them! As an uncle, I have to make a gift? We need a gift, don't we? Would a drawing be okay?"

"I don't know, but I think it would please them" his friend chuckled.

"Make a drawing? Are you serious?" the other twin persified.

"Than, you do understand that their situation was just as difficult as my parents'. I myself am a child from Olympus and from the underworld."

"Charon should have told us! We're his brothers, after all!"

"When did he get them?" asked Hypnos, "I've never seen Charon with a baby."

"Eudoros arrived well before you guys did. When you two were born, he was almost a teenager and Hermes took him under his wing so that Charon would have time for both of you."

" _Anhw_ " Hypnos whispered, his more reserved brother preferring to look away even though Zagreus saw him soften, "What about Daimona?"

"They waited until you were older. She and I are actually the same age."

"It's crazy, I never noticed he..."

The god of sleep froze before realizing something, which painted his face in stupor.

"Oh!"

"What 'oh'?" his brother asked, himself confused because he hadn't seen anything either.

"He used to carry this bag sometimes, against his chest. Do you remember ?"

But Thanatos didn’t and stared at him curiously.

"Yeah, remember" Hypnos insisted, waving his hand, "There, across his chest, and he still had his hand on it. He always refused to show us what was inside, but in fact it was Daimona, well, Angelia."

He slowly lowered his arms as his face turned pale again. His memories came back to him and he was able to confirm what he had heard from his twin.

"So from the beginning... But why didn't he say anything until tonight?"

He suddenly looked at his brother before his expression became bored.

"Oh, Hypnos."

"Me?"

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut" the couple said in one voice, finding him hopeless.

"But I've gotten better!" the god of sleep candidly defended himself.

If the prince laughed, Thanatos looked disillusioned and sighed deeply as he pinched his own nose.

"I can't believe we're uncles" Hypnos exclaimed, "Does Mommy know? I mean, Mother Nyx."

"Seeing how she warned me when we talked about Daimona, I think it's safe to say she does" his friend said, "This wouldn't be surprising, she also knew about the queen, Olympus..."

"Oh, yes, now you say it, it makes sense!"

"Sometimes I wonder what we don't know yet" he confessed as he put his hands on his hips, "What's next on the list? Megara who has a cousin ready to destroy the world?"

"I think you're confusing them with Alecto" Thantatos intervened.

They couldn't help but laugh at his joke.

"I'm going to get to work on the drawings" Hypnos said, " For one illustration it takes time, so two... I'd better get started now! I'll let you know when I'm done, Zag!"

He bent down to kiss his cheek as he did with him and left the room. After he left, Zagreus caught Thanatos staring at him with a tough expression on his face.

"What, you want a kiss too?" he joked, raising an eyebrow.

"If you kiss me you won't leave this room for a while, so it's up to you."

He half lost his smile, electrified by the sulphurous words he had just uttered. His smile widened again, but charmed this time. His attitude became seductive and he made a gesture with his head that left no doubt as to his actions.

"What if I do it anyway?" he asked in a warm tone.

Thanatos tightened even more and quickly approached him. The smiling prince let himself be grabbed by the wrist and thrown on the bed. He received his lips for an intense and greedy wet kiss. As he began to hurriedly open his clothes, his lover left his mouth with a startle and hissed in pain.

"Does it still tinkle?" he asked him breathlessly.

Thanatos nodded his head and massaged his temple. Zagreus straightened up on his elbows to kiss his forehead several times before bringing his affections down to his lips, against which he pronounced a few passionate words.

"We'll just have to shut them up, then..."

The reaper didn't resist and kissed him as well. They let themselves go and forgot about everything happening outside this room.


	7. Chapter 7

The caresses and tenderness lulled them for a while after their lovemaking, before discussions resumed.

"I think about it now, but how did Charon and Hermes make their children? Because with all these ways of conceiving gods, I'm a bit confused" Zagreus asked while lying against his boyfriend's chest, "I mean, Nyx and Zeus have already had children alone, but how could two people of the same sex do it?"

"Probably by mixing their energy or something. I've never asked myself the question about it."

The prince fell silent, but Thanatos knew it was a stunned silence before he heard another of his absurd ideas. Mentally, he prepared himself to hear it and to reply firmly so as not to dive too far into his nonsense. However, he expected anything but this particularly disturbing question:

"By the darkness, is it like his face underneath, or could they have sex?"

"By the gods, Zag!" Thanatos exclaimed, shocked, "I have absolutely no wish to ask myself that question, let alone know!"

"Nah, wait," his lover insisted, straightening up on his elbows to see his pale, twisted face of horror. " His arms are normal so there's no reason for him to- "

The god of death had bulging eyes and placed his palm against his mouth before squeezing his fingers to pinch it.

"I don't want to know" he said, spelling out each word in a slightly trembling voice.

Carefully, he let go of him and feared to hear him talk about it again.

"Okay, okay" Zagreus said, abdicating even though the question tormented him, " May I _at least_ ask how they had their children?"

" Do what you want, if you end up facing a closed door, it won't be my fault" Thanatos sighed, letting his head fall back against the cushions.

"Aren't you even a little bit curious about it?"

"Why should I be?"

"I don't know, maybe you could use it someday if you're ever interested."

He stared at him, unsure of what he was getting at. The prince only seemed serious and curious, but not to imply anything. Different emotions battled within him, and he didn't know if they were pleasant or not.

"Why? Are you interested?" he asked cautiously.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't asked myself about it yet" his lover answered sincerely, shrugging his shoulders, "I'll see it night by night."

This idea delighted him, and he was surprised to think he preferred their situation to remain as it was for the time being. The subject inevitably raised the possibility of staying in a relationship for a long time, and he knew, just by seeing the tender smile on the prince's lips, Zagreus had thought so too. Embarrassed, but at the same time emboldened by the possibility of a very long-term relationship, his heart leapt into his chest.

Zagreus became more seductive and bit his lower lip as he watched his fingers draw circles on his lover's chest.

"Then, in doubt, there's always the conventional method to try.

"What?" Thanatos muttered, "Wait, you just said..."

As he felt his lover lie down and rub his skin against his, he suddenly realized the game he was playing and get relaxed right away.

"Oh, this method. It might not work, you know" he replied, a smile stinging the corner of his mouth.

"You know how stubborn I can be" Zagreus charmed him in a low, warm voice, while moving up to his face to touch his lips with his own.

"And I don't intend to stop you in your search for the truth..."

The son of hell smiled even more before starting a slow but passionate kiss. Thanatos rolled softly to the side to get back on top of him. He was given ample room between the royal legs as his hand slid down a thigh to move gently up to his ass. Their breaths became short and Zagreus let a louder one, almost a moan, escape him when he felt the intimate caress.

The moment was sadly cut short by abrupt and confident footsteps, which they immediately recognized. They stopped kissing and made a deep, bored sigh before staring at Megara who remained at the entrance to the room. Far from being embarrassed to find them under the sheets, she put the back of her hand on her hip in her usual posture.

"No need to kill me by looking at me like that, the Lord himself sent me to look for you. Both of you. I don't know what you've done, but he seemed particularly upset."

"Okay, we're coming, thank you" Zagreus replied with a deep sigh, his head falling dramatically on the pillow.

The Fury was quick to leave the room and left them alone. The lovers separated, relucantly though, and got up to get dressed before they anxiously went to Hades' office. Hades still had his many papers and files around him, but much more organized than the last few nights. A calculated and thoughtful number of documents were in front of him, and he had his hand on them to make it clear that the meeting was going to be based on it. To Cerberus, Persephone looked guilty, her hands folded in front of her mouth, and she mimed a silent apology when she caught her son's attention.

Feeling trouble coming, the couple exchanged a worried look before focusing on Hades who had a cold expression on his face and his blood irises glowed with anger.

"I've come across some very interesting reports..."

The treacherous calm in his voice didn’t fool them. Out of respect, Thanatos continued to look straight at him, but it became more and more difficult. Zagreus perceived his anxiety and resisted grabbing his hand or giving a caress on his arm to support him. Unfortunately, the official audience didn’t leave room for this kind of sweetness, his lover would feel more uncomfortable than anything else.

"There would be a number, quite substantial in fact, of mortals who have died and yet strangely never set foot in my domain."

His errors thus presented and said aloud in front of the whole court humiliated the personification of death who lowered his eyes, his throat tightened.

"The other reports all coincide with these facts, the only ones that are modified have illustrations on the side..."

With those words, he glanced at Hypnos who turned away from his own, hiding as best as he could behind the torch of his workplace. He laid his eyes on the couple again and his expression hardened even more.

"What would be your explanation?"

Thanatos didn't know which words to choose and mumbled draft sentences that he kept aborting with his voice vibrating with anguish. Zagreus seemed uneasy as he wondered if he shouldn't risk it all and try to save as much time as possible. He had to say something, quickly, now, anything!

"I'm pregnant!"

Everyone froze and jumped at his exclamation that he had shouted much louder than expected. Shadows carrying things made them fall to the ground, stumbled, and spilled their glasses, while those close to the two boys stared at them, shocked and taken aback. The suspended moment seemed surreal. As it lasted longer and longer, the prince felt increasingly uncomfortable. He became so stiff that he could swear that even Asterius's axe would be unable to pierce him.

"You what?" Hades whispered, more confused than ever.

"Uhn..."

The burning and urgent desire to burrow himself into the deepest hole of all the strata of the underworld made him mute. At his side, Thanatos stared at him as much as the other shadow in the room and he could read on his lips a _'what the hell were you thinking?'._ In response, he looked back at him and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say he improvised even though he himself didn't understand his own actions.

" _Woaa_! What a night, I'm going to be an uncle one more time!" Hypnos exclaimed, overjoyed.

"Hypnos!" the couple shouted as they turned their heads towards him to give him a murderous look.

"Excuse me?" Hades choked.

Thanatos struck his forehead with his palm and hid inside. Persephone began to understand her son's thoughtless actions and laughed uncontrollably. After the first outburst that took her by surprise, she put her hand over her mouth and tried to contain herself. Her laughter managed to relax the atmosphere a little as Hades was hypnotized for a brief moment, which touched some of his subjects.When he realized this, he pull himself together and mumbled incomprehensible words in his beard, trying in vain to resume his previous presence. When he realized this, he reprimanded himself and mumbled incomprehensible words in his beard, trying in vain to resume his previous presence. Shamefully, Zagreus pressed his lips in a thin line as his father's disenchanted gaze fell on him.

" Really, boy? That's the best lame excuse you could come up with?"

"I tried" he defended himself, shrugging his shoulders and spreading his arms a little, palms facing the sky.

"Ah... Where are those souls? They couldn't just fly away."

"We don't know, my lord" Thanatos replied uncertainly, "We've been searching among all the services tirelessly since we heard about it."

"And since when exactly?"

"Err... Well..."

"What would it change to know since when?" Zagreus intervened to try to get him out of this mess, aware that the duration of that masquerade wasn't on their side, "We had a problem and we're trying to solve it, that's all! It is not his fault if the mortals he had to look for disappeared from the surface!"

"Are you telling me that someone, or even several people, have managed to trick death? Again?" Hades scolded, clenching his fists.

"If that were the case" Persephone began to say, with a quiet smile on her lips to tell him to calm down, "they wouldn't appear as dead on our lists. It rather looks like someone has already done the work and taken the souls in question".

"Blood and darkness, who?" her husband thundered as he pounded his fist on his desk, papers flew off in the process.

The lovers remained mute and uncomfortable, unable to respond. Nyx approached to plead their cause, to their great surprise. They exchanged a brief glance before looking at the woman who had raised them.

"If I may say so, I have tried by my own means to find these souls and it seems that they have been transformed into a light that is unfortunately inaccessible to me. Perhaps the problem you are exposing is simply a new phenomenon requiring the attention of the new gods that have been born recently."

"What is it?" the king of the underworld sighed, attentive though annoyed, but now a little calmer.

" Leaving our children alone in this ocean of mystery wouldn't be worthy of our title. Souls aren't the responsibility of just one of our members, but all of us. This is why the kingdom has many services and members within it. So let us stop tearing ourselves apart and start thinking about a viable solution."

Filled with hope after such an inspiring speech, Thanatos and Zagreus attentively observed Hades' reaction. He silently and carefully studied the option presented while distractedly touching his beard. The urge to rub his nerves on someone was still itching, but his professional conscience, recalled by his second, brought him back to his senses. He finally made a disinterested hand gesture with an annoying growl.

Thanatos and Zagreus breathed a deep and discreet sigh of relief.

"Well, now that this matter is taking a more official turn and we **all** agree to solve this problem **together** , what have you done and obtained as answers for the moment" Persephone said, insisting on the qualification of mutual cooperation as she looked insistently at her husband.

"Every possible and imaginable service has been requested, my Queen" Thanatos explained, feeling responsible in this matter, "but no one has those souls in their files. We had to call in an outside acquaintance unofficially to see if they went up, rather than down."

"What do you mean, they-" Hades began to thunder, but his wife's glare brought him to order, and he took it more gently, "What do you mean by ʽthey went up’ ? And what acquaintance?"

Thanatos looked at his lover, who nodded with a smile.

"The messenger of Olympus has been helping Zagreus in the shadows from the beginning, my Lord. They are on very good terms, so he agreed to discreetly render this service to us."

"Oh, good old Hermes" Persephone smiled, "We can count on his discretion, I don't doubt it for a second!"

"Is it certain?" the worried king of the underworld asked.

"Have you forgotten that he played a role in our love story? He was the one who brought me the poems you wrote to me."

Embarrassed after she mentioned the tender words he had dedicated to her, he blushed and stammered. However Nyx's surprised twins stared at him, his son didn't hesitate to giggle like a child. He quickly got himself together to change the subject.

"Well, well, and did he answer?"

"Not yet, my Lord, but it might not be long. We will let you know as soon as he does."

"By darkness, waiting is most unpleasant" Hades cursed, leaning lazily at the bottom of his seat, one arm still on his desk and his other hand on his thigh.

"A new problem, a new solution" his wife philosophized, "We'll get to the bottom of this. Moreover, this collaboration is rather positive and will further support our request for peace if it ends well."

The King of the Dead breathed a long exasperated sigh, while massaging his eyes with one hand.

"So that's why you've given me so much useless work in the past few nights?"

"Look on the bright side" Persephone smiled, "You've been dealing with a lot of blocked files since the last millennium!"

Even though everyone could feel his desire to grumble, he couldn't contradict her. Overcome and psychologically exhausted, he sighed again.

"All right, I want a full report as soon as you get the answer from Hermes."

"Understood, my Lord" Thanatos replied as he respectfully bent over.

When they received the permission to do so, the couple left the room and went to the lounge for a drink. They were still stunned by the strangest and most frightening interview they had ever had. Megara joined them and cursed towards Zagreus.

"I can't believe you got away with such a far-fetched excuse. Pregnant? Really? As far as I remember, that's not possible for you."

"I panicked, okay?" the prince defended himself in shame, "If we may forget about this now..."

"Oh, no, don't count on that" his friend smiled with sadistic pleasure, "I'll think about checking in every semester. Have you thought about a name yet?"

"All right, that's enough!"

Thanatos couldn't help but wheeze, which made his companion sigh one more time.

"Now father has been informed, I'll have to go back to my usual routine, so I shouldn't hang around too much" Zagreus said before finishing his drink.

"I can't promise I'll be there, but if you need me, just call" his lover informed him.

"I know" he smiled, more softly than he thought though.

Out of habit, he bent down and Thanatos also came to meet him to pick up one last quick kiss before he left. As he walked out of the lounge, he paid no attention to Megara, who was petrified, nor even to Dusa, who remained stunned with admiration not far from the bat cage. However, the reaper noticed them when he finally took his gaze off his lover's back. The embarrassment took him and he preferred to drink in silence by staring at the bottom of his glass.

Meanwhile, Zagreus went through the chambers one by one until he reached the last one in Tartarus. Seeing Alecto didn't really please him, but he tried not to show it in order to end it quickly. The Fury smiled as usual and sneered. The prince raised an eyebrow to silently ask what she found so funny.

"Oh, nothing much, I just heard the news and I'm absolutely stunned, Red Blood" she said with a large predatory smile, "I'll try not to punch you in the stomach too much to avoid a miscarriage!"

"How did you hear about that?" he stammered, red because of shame, and a little panicked, "Don't tell me it's..."

"Megara hasn't stopped talking about it and I must admit that for once, a little gossip really pleased me! Ahah! Come on, Red Blood, it's time to say your prayers, or should I say, **both** your prayers!"

Annoyed, he growled and rushed into the fight. Without too much trouble, he defeated her and continued on his way until he reached Lernie, whom he greeted with warm welcomes. Then He entered the Elysium and finally noticed Charon's absence since the beginning of his ascent. He had made a habit of not going to his store in Tartarus and Asphodel, but he always passed by at least once before going to the Colosseum.

Fortunately he managed to find a fountain to refresh himself and rest a little before joining the heroes of the arena. Immediately he noticed Theseus staring at him. The pain in his eyes made him slow down until he stopped a few meters away from the legendary duo. Confused, especially because of the lengthening silence, he turned to Asterius to ask without a word what was going on. The minotaur simply breathed a long sigh, his nostrils quivering as he did so. The sound startled his partner, who finally spoke, pointing at Zagreus with his trembling hand.

"You demon! Your perfidious charms will have no effect on me and I will have no qualms about destroying you and the new being growing in your womb!"

"But I am not pregnant!" the prince replied exasperated and ashamed.

"Silence! I don't care about your lies! If it's so important to you, I'll take care of this unborn child. See this offer as a priceless gift!"

"My king" intervened Asterius, visibly for the umpteenth time, "The prince was born male, he cannot conceive that way."

"He is a demon!" Theseus protested in a cracked voice, brandishing his spear, "anything is possible! I will slay him and bring him back to my light!"

' _Here we go again..._ ', Zagreus thought wearily. The hero's attraction to him was no longer a secret and Theseus was becoming less and less discreet, but those monologues were really starting to annoy him. He hoped to create enough of a shock to silence his heretical feelings and become the unbearable rival he had become accustomed to.

He brandished Mort and called his companion without hesitation. Asterius was surprised by this choice of opening battle, as he was still waiting to exchange several blows before calling on his friends. The answer to his questioning came when he saw the prince grab the neck of the god to kiss him passionately. At first surprised, Thanatos widened his eyes and needed a few seconds before gently pushing him back by the shoulders to stare at him.

Zagreus just laughed and put a last quick kiss on his lips before turning to Theseus with a victorious and insolent look on his face. The confused personification of death followed his gaze and saw the blond hero staring at them with round eyes and an unclenched jaw. He was able to feel his shock and his heart breaking. This detail froze him, leaving him suspicious and keeping his hands on his lover's shoulders.

Theseus brandished his spear again to point it at him. Disconcerted by such an inconsiderate and absurd gesture, Thanatos moved his head back, squinting at the tip of the spear.

"If I have to fight death itself so this child will have the family he deserves, then: on guard! I won't let you have this demon so easily, you vicious snake!"

Thanatos looked at Zagreus.

"May I ask what the **fuck** is going on here?"

"Don't swear, it turns me on" the prince shuddered.

Already over the edge, the exchange only made Theseus rush towards them faster. Thanatos performed his support attack as it was the custom after a call, which weakened the duo. Everyone saw the prince sending a kiss to Thanatos with a teasing look and a wink. Usually, he would have felt embarrassed to show such intimacy in public, but after the kiss he received, Thanatos gave up and made an amused smile.

Theseus called him a coward when he disappeared and stormed that he would win the heart of the ' _demon_ ' with his spear. Between two blade strokes with Asterius, Zagreus confided a few words to him privately in a humorous tone.

"It's not too late to ask for a transfer, I could support your request."

"Impossible, the king will be lost without me, but I appreciate the offer."

"Asterius! Don't let yourself be seduced too! Resist, my faithful and eternal friend!"

Taking a few steps backwards, Zagreus exploded with a clear and vibrant laugh, the same one that could turn the heart of any being who was able to hear it. Theseus was deeply heartbroken, he stupidly rushed towards him screaming and was unable to dodge the fatal hit. He grabbed the sword stuck in his chest with one hand and his rival's wrist with the other. Then, with blood flowing from his mouth, he spoke his last words, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I will always be there, somewhere, perhaps in the farthest corners of your demonic heart blinded by the perfidy of death... I will return..."

"Aren't you overreacting ?" Zagreus replied, bored by his behaviour.

Characteristically, Theseus died theatrically and disappeared into the light. The son of hell turned to his last opponent as the crowd shouted and chanted the name of his favorite.

"At last a little calm" he sighed with deep relief.

"Not for much longer" Asterius promised.

They resumed their fight until the prince emerged victorious. Afterwards, he retrieved the gems and saw a familiar silhouette at the back of the bleachers. He smiled as he recognized Eudoros, before turning back to continue on his way.


	8. Chapter 8

As he crossed the Temple of Styx that separated him from the satyrs' tunnels, he devised a strategy to reach his father quickly, but he jumped backwards as he saw the gates of hell.

On the banks of the River Styx, hundreds of shadows huddled together and occupied the narrow space. They spoke and moaned, creating a constant hubbub. Cerberus watched them with his three heads, but his master could see that he was overwhelmed by so many people.

Distraught and petrified, he looked for someone in charge and saw Hermes passing by, quickly flying over the mass, a list in hand. Charon was on his boat and was only bringing up the shadows verified by his associate. The process was slow and the most impatients were trying to climb by force. Fortunately, the Chthonian god remained uncompromising and pushed them away easily until he had obtained an obol.

Zagreus waved his arms to attract the attention of his cousin and when he got it, he made his body speak to ask for an explanation for all this mess. Hermes joined him so quickly that he jumped. Panting and slightly covered with sweat, he looked exhausted. He had never seen him like this before.

"You really have to help us, boss, they are far too many! Shadows are disappearing, but the war continues and they're coming in droves!"

"What can I do?" he asked immediately.

"Here, I've got a few more lists to check out, the shadows just have to signal their presence and only then they can join my good associate."

"Doesn't Hypnos normally take care of that?" the prince asked following him, his eyebrows frowning in a confused expression.

"He's overworked too, I've heard he hasn't slept for the last eight hours!"

Shocked, Zagreus took a sharp breath, his eyes wide open.

"The situation is really serious! I'll help you, don't worry!"

"Thank you, coz!"

They dispersed and tried their best to contain the shadows in single line. The lists filled up little by little, many names were missing, and those who had no obol were simply thrown out and banned from entering. Never would Zagreus have thought that working at the reception would be so grueling, and yet he felt more exhausted than from any fight. The paperwork was definitely not his cup of tea.

With his cousin at his side, they said goodbye to Charon who walked away with his boat full to bursting point. The ferryman did the same by pinching the tip of his hat and then started paddling. Hermes let himself fall to the ground and lay down with a dramatic sigh.

"If I wasn't sure it couldn't happen, I could have sworn I was going to die for good!"

"I wasn't far away" Zagreus added in the same way, sitting next to him before looking at his yawning dog, "It's okay, good boy, you can go home, you've earned it."

The giant watchdog yelped and left the room to go and rest at the desk of the king of hell.

"What a crowd, it was impressive" the prince whispered, "I've never met anyone here before..."

"I told you, coz', war and famine wreak havoc. Humans have nothing left to eat, nothing to offer. I might as well tell you that Dyonisos is at his wits' end to not have the daily mortal wine."

"I'll send him some nectar, I have quite a bit in reserve" Zagreus chuckled, "By the way, we've earned it too!"

He made appear one of the bottles he had recovered during his peregrinations, which immediately made Hermes straighten up as his eyes became lively again.

"Now you' re talking, boss!"

He laughed and uncorked the bottle to offer the first sip to his cousin who quenched his thirst without hesitation before giving it back to him. Feeling the golden liquid sliding down his throat did him a great deal of good and he understood what his colleagues meant when they talked about the _sacred glass_ after work.

"So that's how it's done?" he began to say, which drew Hermes' eye to him, "Your job with Charon."

"Ah! Yes and no. Normally, we don't have to check names, I bring him the souls, they pay him, get in the boat and _that's it_ , it's over. But since you told me about the souls that disappear, I try to get the list of their names and check them. Just to see if they don't get off our radar before they go down. It's a very long process and the missing are increasing every now and then, constant but irregular."

"I'm sorry it doubles your work this way..."

"We're gods" his cousin simply replied with a quiet smile, "It's our job."

"Still no idea where the missing went?"

"I'm still looking. It's pretty hard not to arouse the suspicions of others about this case, especially when I'm digging through the archives of Olympus" he replied before taking a sip of nectar, "Fortunately, the banquets of one another keep them a little busy. I'm very close to finding it, I swear! I'm not going to hang around too long to finish my research."

"Thanks for your help, you've got us out of some serious trouble" Zagreus smiled, touched by so much devotion, especially through a selfless act.

" Come on, boss, it' s normal!"

He let the silence settle and his cousin drink while his gaze was lost in space towards their reflection on the surface of the Styx. A few more intimate questions began to dawn in his mind and the peaceful moment gave him enough confidence to ask them.

" How was your very first meeting?"

At first confused by his question, Hermes stared at him, then he understood the subject of the next discussion and smiled.

"Oh. Well, it was a little weird, but refreshing. I wasn't sure what to expect from a Chthonian god, I thought I should be on my guard all the time like with the Olympians, but Charon..."

His gaze was lost in space again while his memories were tenderly coming to the surface. He smiled and looked at his cousin again.

"He was different, it was good to see someone like him."

"Weren't you afraid of him?" Zagreus asked, surprised.

"I'm not going to lie, he scared the life out of me when he jumped out of the river" he chuckled, which made Zagreus laughing as he pictured the scene, "But after a brief exchange I was really... fascinated, yes I think it' s the right word."

"You immediately were into each other" the prince understood, touched.

"Yeah, it was quick" the deity gloated with a sly smile, "When we left each other, he gave me a hand kiss blowing his mist on it and it was _woooow_!"

Zagreus blew from the nose, amused and touched that they liked each other from the first day.

"How did you know you felt that way about him? And didn't you worry that someone would find out?"

"I wasn't really sure how I felt, I was just very attracted and intrigued. In fact, I thought it would pass and we'd be just professionals pretty quickly."

At first confused, he squinted his eyes, then suddenly became red as he realized that intimacy had reached the sexual stage before they confessed their feelings. When Hermes saw his expression and reactions, he burst out laughing before continuing.

"The meetings followed one another, the souls passed by, and I finally realized that it wasn't the work that motivated me so much, but the fact that I was going to see him, even for a few moments. It was quite peculiar, I'd never really felt this way about a god before..."

Intrigued and concerned by the loss of his almost legendary good mood, Zagreus questioned him with his eyes. His cousin tried to avoid the subject by wiggling, but also hesitated to say everything. Finally, he decided to confide in him and took a more huddled position.

"On Olympus, you don't choose your relationship. Your father is surely more flexible on this subject, especially after the affair with your mother, but mine and the old Demeter... They're very very strict about it, sure thing."

"Did you have to be with someone out of obligation?" Zagreus breathed, shocked.

"To have children, yes" his fatalist cousin nodded, "For a matter of order and section to direct. I and Aphrodite gave birth to Hermaphrodite with a winged sandal, for example."

"Wow, that's... special."

"I know" he says with a mirthless chuckle, "I've already had some affairs with nymphs and mortals, but if children were born or if I dared to feel more than necessary, Lady Demeter and pop would pass behind me and there was nothing left..."

He stretched a little, his smile faded and his eyes shone with the pain of the past.

"I never really had a choice. _'That's the way it is, son, you have to get used to it_ ' like pop said. But... I can never do the same as them, it doesn't work for me. I understand Artemis on that point."

"You're worried about Eudoros and Angelia" Zagreus said with a heavy heart when he understood.

"Charon is the only one who has been with me for so long. Yet, I thought he would have grown tired of me!"

Hermes tried to laugh and joke to put on a good face, but his cousin was not fooled and saw his pain. He continued to stare at the ground, following the marks of wear and tear on his index finger.

"He is one of the few I could choose..."

"Charon is too important for everyone, nothing could happen to him."

"You know what it would mean, coz, your parents are in the same boat as us" he said, raising his eyes in his own.

Zagreus tensed up and nodded his head. He understood the situation all too well.

"You don't have any affairs with anyone other than Charon? Do you still have marital obligations or anything else on Olympus?"

"Marital obligations" he repeated, releasing a so bitter laugh that his cousin felt the bile from his stomach rise up his throat, "No, I refuse all of it. I like the concept of mortal monogamy, I find it reassuring. "

"I feel the same way with Than" his cousin conceded with a tender smile, "You've been together for a long time, then? If Eudoros was almost a teenager when the Nyx twins were born, then you already had a good record."

"By the gods, how much is it now" Hermes breathed as he looked up at the ceiling, an impossible smile stretching his lips, then he inflated his cheeks in an exhalation, "I don't know, two and a half millennia, maybe three? I've lost count!"

"Oh, _wow_ , I can't imagine!" the prince admired.

"I tend to always plan very carefully what I want to do, with whom, when, and for how long, just to manage my time well, see? This big ferryman was absolutely not planned!"

His confession made him laugh with him.

"Nor did Eudoros, yet it was far from being an accident!"

"How did you know you wanted children? And how did you do it, anyway?"

"Oh, well, we were together and we were talking about Hermaphrodite and Pan, who is my brother and not my son, let's be clear! I'm tired of fixing my pop's mess..."

Zagreus nodded vigorously, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"Anyway, we were talking about them, about how they were born, and I started to think ' _what if I had the choice because I want to?_ ' I had chosen Charon, so I could also choose whether or not to have children. When he offered it to me, I laughed because I didn't think I could be close enough to them, well, to be a good father" he said.

"Did you declined?"

"I said yes."

Disconcerted, he slowly blinked his eyes and his cousin laughed at his facial expression.

"I think the power of choice gives a certain bravery. You know, my function at Olympus is special, I'm not really considered as a god. Everyone else takes me for a kind of frivolous and boring thing. Charon didn't judge me like that, I was just his shiny little bird that brought colors near his boat."

He didn't realize the gorgeous romanticism of his sentence, but Zagreus did and softened and smiled gently.

"How is it that they see you differently? You are a god, the god of speed."

"Actually, we have that in common."

He leaned towards him to whisper, his attitude almost comical.

"My mother was half a giant, an immortal."

When he straightened up, he discovered the prince's surprise.

"What?! Really?"

"Yes! Just as your mother is a demigod. You have the blood of a mortal, I have the blood of a giant, and neither you nor I are full-fledged gods in their eyes, so we are not worth much. We're part of a set that they like to see for fun."

It was sad, but he couldn't argue with that. More than once, the Olympians had called him by different names and not once was it pure divine. Family nicknames sometimes came up, but it was rare and mostly for decorative purposes to make a good impression. Also, Zeus himself sometimes seemed to deny the existence of Hermes, never speaking of him by naming him as his son and relating only the facts of Apollo. Moreover, if his cousin hadn't told him who his father was, he would never have known. He couldn't imagine how he must have felt, Hades had certainly made many mistakes with him, but he had never disowned him.

"Then Charon and I were there, in the river Styx, and I said yes" Hermes smiled as he didn’t seem to realize himself what had happened,"We couldn’t carry the child, of course, but we have other methods that don’t require a sexual act, the same kind I used with Aphrodite.

"A sandal?"

"No, the river itself."

Shocked by such a crazy idea, he remained speechless, which made the god of speed laugh out loud.

"Don't look at me like that, even we didn't think it would work!"

"But how..."

"We can mix our energies and create what we want, we are gods" his cousin joyfully repeated himself, shrugging his shoulders, "With a base you can do anything. But someone born in blood... Well, Eudoros only dreamed of fighting. Charon and I agreed that he should go to war, especially since hiding him among mortals made it difficult to prevent him from taking up arms. That's how he met Achilles, your master of arms."

Zagreus remained silent, but he wondered how far Charon and Hermes had played a role in the House of Hades and his life. Even more so, if it had been premeditated and well thought out. Afterwards, his cousin had just confessed himself that he was planning several moves ahead over a very long period of time. Hermes was not the god of commerce, travel, speed and trickery for nothing. He was cunning and sometimes mischievous, fortunately he was in his good graces. To have him as an enemy must have been terrible.

"What about Angelia?"

" If Charon's little brothers had never been born, we would have had her then. I was impatient and a bit sulky, but I could understand why he wanted to spend time with his family, especially since no one knew about us."

"Not even Nyx?" the prince asked, surprised and confused, "Yet she seemed to know a lot when Thanatos talked about Angelia."

"She found out about Eudoros the moment she proposed Achilles as your weapon master. She investigated him and one thing led to another..."

He made a face to explain they had been caught.

"We really did everything we could to keep Angelia hidden among the Infernal Services, starting by giving her a second name. Your father mustn't know where she's from and think she's just another daughter of Mother Night."

"Nyx wasn't too harsh with you? Not knowing she had grandchildren must have hurt her."

"I thought I was going to die" Hermes said, his comic guilty expression lightening his frightening memories.

He burst out laughing.

" Long story short, we were fought over our zeal, but _hey_ I'm the god of speed! I'd rather not say it, but you get the idea!"

"It was for Eudoros? Was it easier when she found out about Angelia?"

"For Eudoros yes. Angelia... I think she suspected it because she never came to talk to us about it. Knowing her, otherwise we would have heard her voice all the way to Olympus."

"I hope we can reunite our family and ease the tension. At least, even if you can't say anything for your children, you could be more than just associates."

"Very close professional associates!" his cousin proudly rectified.

The crystalline sound of moving water caught their attention and they turned their heads to the crimson side of the river at the same time. Not far from them, they saw Charon's silhouette and his boat stand out in the darkness. They rose to their feet with a smile and waited for him to reach their level.

" _Hnngnnhrrr..._ "

"Oh, you know, we made the world again with a good nectar" Hermes replied as he took off from the ground, before shaking the empty bottle.

The couple then remained silent and looked at each other for a long time. When he detected so much tenderness, Zagreus thought it good to announce his departure to leave them alone for a moment.

"I'm going to join my father" he said with a smile, "If he doesn't come, Than surely will. Good day to you both!"

" _Haaaarrhhhh..._ "

" Bye, coz'! It was great, we'll have to get over it, when we have time!"

He laughs to hear this from the mouth of a being who was always running. He waved to them and went to the front door. As he passed by, he saw his cousin kissing the bony mouth of the ferryman who was gently holding his waist. He smiled and closed the door.

Hades was present and waiting patiently. His son sighed deeply as he prepared to receive the usual scathing spike about his tardiness. But he surprised him by approaching another subject.

"There were a lot of shades outside the doors."

"Ah, uh, yes, Hermes and Charon are conscientiously checking to see who's there."

"Uh, I see..."

He could feel his hesitation, but the King of Hell didn't dare to ask the question that was really tapping him, so he decided to start the real discussion.

"And without beating around the bush, where does that leave us?"

His father grunted in embarrassment before turning around. His unusual shyness caught him off guard, so much so that he could only wait for him to speak.

"Tell me boy... If you were planning to have children with Thanatos, would you tell me first?"

He choked on his saliva and blushed so much he could compete with his clothes. Taken by surprise he stammered when he answered.

"Where did you get this idea? That I wanted children, I mean..."

"You had some strange thoughts when you were called together, I was just wondering if... Uh..."

Zagreus stared at him, speechless.

"And even if that was the case, why should I tell you?"

"Just like that, just to... tell me" Hades replied cautiously.

He could simply show his usual insolence, but the conversation with his cousin helped him to see something else. His father only wanted to know about his life, in a purely selfless way, unlike the Olympians who liked to gather information in order to achieve their ends. The shy paternal affection with which Hades approached him embarrassed him, but also warmed his heart. This dynamic in their relationship was still new, they just needed time to adjust to it.

Overlooking the fact that he felt a little uncomfortable, Zagreus agreed to make an effort. He rubbed his neck looking away and leaned mainly on his right leg.

"Yeah, okay, in private..."

The shoulders of the God of the Dead slumped as the tension left them.

"Oh, I see" he said simply, but his intonation proved that he was very pleased, "And returning to the professional, any news of the missing souls?"

"Hermes is close to the goal, he operates as discreetly as possible. He told me that he was searching in the files of Olympus but it was hard not to be seen".

" _Pheh_ , it doesn't surprise me" Hades agreed, "When he's not drunk, Dionysos can't help gossiping with Aphrodite! If someone were to enter the archives, they would immediately see him and go snooping around unscrupulously."

"Hermes is resourceful, he's going to make it. Besides, I think doing all of this behind their backs amuses him a lot" Zagreus smiled.

"I have no doubt about it... Uh... Tell me, I already had my suspicions about them, but... Did the messenger and the ferryman..."

He raised an amused eyebrow to see him extend his curiosity so much. Suddenly embarrassed, Hades brandished his spear and stammered a little.

"It doesn’t matter! On guard, boy!"

His son chuckled and positioned himself, sword in hand. They began their fight which lasted a few minutes before Zagreus had a sadistic idea to take over. While his father finished his death ray, which he had dodged by hiding behind a pillar, he spoke with a sly smile.

"Father!"

"What?"

"What do you think about 'Alexius' if it's a boy?"

"What!?"

He took advantage of his confusion to run over him and finish him off. Hades uttered a cry of surprise and collapsed. As his hilarious son fell to the ground, he cursed.

"It was... disloyal... and treacherous, boy..."

He was swept away by the river Styx without his son feeling the slightest remorse. His father disappeared, he left the place and went for a walk before he died naturally in his turn. As usual, Hypnos greeted him, but he didn't have time to greet him back as his father furiously pointed him out of his index from his desk.

"That was the most vicious, immoral and perfidious thing you've ever done!"

"You said it yourself: no holds barred" his son taunted him as he walked nonchalantly to his room.

Hades grumbled, but said nothing more so that his subjects wouldn't learn how he had been beaten. Zagreus continued on his way and saw that neither Megara nor Nyx was present. Meanwhile, he had seen his mother at the back of the garden. He stretched out and cracked his neck, sighing comfortably as he entered his room, then he froze as he discovered Thanatos was waiting for him, arms folded. The dark look he cast on him was unequivocal, a look he could recognize among a thousand.

"Did you think you could escape death, Zagreus?"

A seductive smile appeared on the prince's lips.

"You summon me, kiss me in front of everyone, flirt with me and still think you can get away with it?"

"That wasn't my intention, quite the opposite actually" his lover replied, approaching with a quiet step but with a flirtatious attitude.

"The whole Elysium keeps talking about what happened, I hope you'll take responsibility for your impulsive actions, Zag."

"More than ever" he breathed as he finally reached him to take him in his arms.

As soon as he received a kiss, Thanatos responded to the embrace and threw him on the bed. They weren't apart long before the passionate kissing continued. Clothes flew off and they lost themselves in sensual intimacy, their hearts more inflamed than ever. Although the case of the lost souls was now official, they forgot the time and didn't hesitate to stay together as long as they wanted.

The days, or nights, that followed went the same way. Zagreus never knew how to find a time reference and was seriously thinking of asking the house contractor for a sundial. However, he could assure that the peacefulness lasted for some time.

His mother had entrusted him with a mission: to invite the Olympians in order to reconcile their family once and for all. He never thought he would agree on anything with his father, but for once he conceded that the plan was risky. He had started handing out the invitations and when he offered the one to his cousin, he could see his cousin's hands shaking slightly. He wasn't the only one worried about the outcome of this story, especially since there was no guarantee that peace, if they got it, would last for a long time. From now on, all they could do was to cross their fingers.

So his routine resumed smoothly. Until during one of his rounds, Charon stopped him and invited him to get on his boat. Surprised, especially knowing the final destination, he followed him and took his place in the boat. He admired the scenery while enjoying the exceptional journey and asked himself a thousand-and-one questions.

When they arrived at their destination, he thanked his friend who answered with a grunt and pinched the tip of his hat to elegantly say goodbye. The prince looked at him, thinking he would leave, but he remained motionless. A little disconcerted, he went to his father's office. To his great surprise, Hermes was there and gave him a warm greeting.

"Did I miss something?" Zagreus asked.

At the same time, Thanatos appeared in his greenish glow beside him. Completely disheveled, he made his gaze travel over everyone. The god of speed entered immediately into the heart of the matter so as not to keep them waiting.

"I have found your souls, coz'! It took a long time and I had to get some help, but I managed to find out what's going on!"

"Oh really?" the couple exclaimed in one voice, a deep relief releasing the tension from their shoulders.

"Help?" Hades repeated worriedly.

"Of your services: Daimona. I sent her to spy for me to check my information."

Zagreus couldn't help smiling at the mention of a family collaboration. He would have given anything to see them working together.

"I officially declare that your dead... are alive!" Hermes cheerfully launched.

"What?" they all exclaimed in one voice.

"I have searched the records of Olympus and there have been _abnormal_ fluctuations which have bound the heavens and the underworld together. The sources came from different places around the globe, but they all had one thing in common: death. Daimona is able to feel the essences in their purest form, so I asked her to track several of them. When she got to the end of the trail, she found newborns!"

"What? But how?" Thanatos breathed, "The dead don't come back to life!"

"Yes and no, it's rather a transformation, the soul detaching itself from one body to join another. Some souls have not been so lucky and have continued the usual path. Since mortals incarnate life, I suppose you could call it _reincarnation_."

"Then it would just be a thing due to the mortals becoming more and more numerous?" Zagreus asked.

"Actually, my research has taken me back to a certain point in time when all this started, because these souls coming back in a new body is not a new phenomenon."

Hermes pointed to the couple, which prompted them to exchange a quick lost glance.

"My fellow associate mentioned the fact that you never left each other as children and that you, coz', have even strangely grown up faster to appear the same age as our dear Thanatos here. Yet several centuries separate you."

"I thought it was normal" the prince said, just as confused as his father and his companion, "How could it be then?"

"I could answer that" the calm, misty voice of Nyx intervened as she approached, "I myself was surprised at your ability to grow so fast, and I assumed that it came from your mortal part, but you only began to do so after you had passed the stage of infancy. You were already watching my sons a lot, you wanted to be their equal. It wouldn’t be surprising if your will gave you the opportunity to bridge this physical gap."

Touched but embarrassed, he rubbed the nape of his neck with his palm. He was aware that he had only had eyes for the personification of death, even for a long time. However, that it was so announced in front of his father's court made him blush hard and his heart beat wildly. Thanatos didn't stop at this information and preferred to concentrate on the main one, which he put forward.

"Souls were reincarnated during our childhood?"

"The first ones I found, yes" Hermes replied, "And every time you have been together, more or less intimately, the phenomenon has occurred. I would even say that it has intensified lately."

His naughty undertones didn’t go unnoticed and the couple remained in an embarassing silence.

"It's not so bewildering as that" Achilles said as he approached, "After all, the prince is the god of life and blood, so his association with death creating an infinite loop is actually rather obvious."

It was one too many comments for Thanatos who didn't know where to stand. His heart was far too exposed for him to be able to act normally. His companion smiled and looked at him with a tender gaze that always made him shake.

"So what?" Hades said, "Would I have no soul in hell anymore? Sure, we have a lot of shades, but we also have an administration to run."

"Oh, there'll always be some, don't worry, boss," Hermes said, hands on his hips, "Some will pay eternally because unforgivable, and some will come back. In fact, it'll save you from being overwhelmed with work, and so will we."

"But who takes care of the souls that return to the bodies?" Zagreus asked when he realized the necessity of guiding these mortals.

"My auntie Llithyie takes care of the deliveries, I guess she goes to fetch them. We don't talk too much, she and I."

"Does Olympus know what's going on?" Hades asked.

" Auntie must have noticed, but as long as the babies are born, she doesn't have to worry about where the souls come from. The surprise was really backed up on your side, losing mortals was freaking everyone out."

"So the matter is settled? There's no problem after all?" the prince said.

" It seems so" sighed his father, leaning against the back of his seat, "It seems that your relationships make you work unwillingly, boy."

"So he wasn't noisy for nothing!" the brother of death couldn't help but exclaim.

"Hypnos!" the couple cried, red with shame, giving him a torpid and embarrassed glance.

Hades massaged his skull, disillusioned, while his wife and Achilles chuckled. Hermes on his side was jubilant with the information he had already gathered for some time.

"There was only one mortal who came back to life but in the same body" he said, "By the gods, it created quite a mess up there! The name is Jes- _I don't know what_ Jeshua, Joshua? Oh, I don't know anymore. Anyway, he was preaching love for all and his peers planted him on a cross!"

"It certainly worth it" ironized Thanatos, arms folded, his lover choking his snort at his comment.

"Since then he has been speaking in his own way of divine light and hell. Some mortals are even beginning to devote a real cult to him. This is some sorts of free propaganda. The offerings and the devotees will continue, just the form changes."

"The story ends well, therefore" the King of the Underworld said to himself, Hermes nodding vigorously.

"I'm not going to be able to be away any longer, it would be bad for my reputation if I was late" he declared.

"Very well, this collaboration will have been very useful to us, for hell like Olympus" the God of the Dead solemnly answered as a modest thank you.

"Do you need anything?" the prince proposed to his cousin.

"No, I' m fine, I already have a ride waiting for me."

They smiled and understood each other. The last goodbyes were given, and then the god of swiftness left the house.

"I am reassured that we have found the end of all this story" Persephone smiled quietly before looking into her son's eyes, " Now, that's a very pleasant job, what's more."

"Mother" he muttered, becoming as red as Thanatos.

"I'm sure they won't hesitate to collaborate" Achilles added, just as cheeky as her.

"Stop!"

The shade and the queen laughed. More about self restraint despite her amusement, Nyx simply smiled.

"As welcome as it is, a responsibility remains a responsibility, my children" she said more seriously, "Whatever the future holds, never forget to fulfill it, one way or another."

They nodded respectfully. Zagreus didn't like the breakup it implied, but neither could he naively believe that his relationship with Thanatos wouldn't end. They were gods, but their feelings were similar to those of mortals and were inevitably fickle. Nevertheless, he hoped and expected to keep them, as much as his father had loved his mother through the ages.

When the meeting was over, he took his lover's hand, and smiled as he felt him automatically tangle their fingers, and pulled him to the small salon by the river Styx. They drank some nectar in silence, the calm in their hearts and minds soothing them. After a moment and surprising the prince, Thanatos spoke first.

"I understand better why now..."

"Why what?"

"Why everything is quiet with you. As thunderous and exuberant as you may be, ironically."

Zagreus chuckled.

"Have you always felt it?" he asked, amazed.

"I didn't know what it meant. I thought I was just comfortable. I've already told you that feelings are strange and hard to understand."

He smiled softly as he thought back to the times when he had confided about his feelings, his bewilderment and his emotions. Shy and reserved, Thanatos turned out to be difficult to approach, but those who knew him well could see all the tenderness under the veil of his harsh words.

Learning that reincarnations also took place during their childhood didn't surprise him. Staying in visual or physical contact had always been one of their habits. Achilles had noticed this mutual attraction a long time ago and Zagreus assumed that Nyx did so as well. He admitted that he and Thanatos weren't the most discreet. Discovering the capacity that bound them together made his heart leap and fill it with pure, incandescent love that made him boil with inexhaustible energy.

He came to take his hand to caress his fingers. Thanatos let him do so and even responded to several tenderness, his eyes a little in space. The familiar feeling of their bond that worked his magic rose and they looked up to look at each other intensely. Without a word, they understood each other and smiled softly. They came closer and shared a live-giving kiss for thousands of souls around the world.

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~~  
> This is the first story I've translated into English, I hope my grammar was correct enough~   
> I had made a drawing about Charon and Hermes when they gave birth to Eudoros. You can see it on the link below~  
> Thank you for reading~  
> https://twitter.com/Koney_Koko/status/1326969159511629824?s=20


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